Frozen Family
by reallysmallworld
Summary: AU fic with ROTG, Frozen, and a little bit of Tangled thrown in. Elsa was born with her father Jack's powers, but she has no way to control them. What measures will have to be taken to keep her from hurting anyone, and should the strange family be concerned about her getting hurt, as well?
1. Chapter 1: Out Of Control

**Jack**

Elsa was what some might call a "problem child." Her behavior was exemplary in most cases, but it was her actions that were the problem. Again, she was a sweet and gentle child, and the actions were not her fault. It was simply the fact that she could not control herself. I often leave home in the summer to bring winter to other parts of the world, but it is never a surprise to me anymore to return to winter in my own home. Snowmen decorate the halls and the ballroom becomes an ice rink, and it is my duty to clean it all up when I get back. I figured that it was a phase she was going through at a young age, and her ice powers would come under control after a while.

Elsa apologizes and I punish her lightly, but nothing can ever change what happens, so year after year I go through the same thing. It all changed, though, when my wife Rapunzel (long story for another time) had another daughter. We named her Anna. Anna was much wilder than her sister and found my ice powers amazing. She loved when I brought snow and would spend hours building catching snowflakes on her tongue and making lopsided angels in the powder. More problems came when she grew to toddler age and had enough energy to be awake late into the night, when I was out or sleeping. To satisfy her boredom, she would often wake Elsa up for entertainment.

Elsa didn't mind, of course. Her powers were just as wondrous to her as they were for Anna, but as she was getting older, she was understanding more and more that she needed to use them less to avoid suspicion from others. Anna came as a welcome excuse to use them without care, even if said excuse came in the middle of the night with only the northern lights to light the castle halls. They would always run barefoot to the ballroom where there was more room to play, and where nearly every morning, I would have to clean up a half-melted winter wonderland. Instead of going through the routine only once a year, I now had to endure it nearly every day.

I still didn't really mind, though. In fact, it thrilled me to know that my powers had been passed on to at least one of my children, and I felt even closer to the eldest when I spent time trying to teach her how to use them. Only, she never learned. I couldn't understand it. Sure, she could form snowflakes easy enough, and as she grew older, she got strong enough to cause a blizzard in a room, but the problem was that she was getting stronger.

I didn't think anything of it until one day, as my daughters were chasing me down the halls in a game of tag (I was flying to keep the game interesting), Elsa paused to catch her breath and leaned against the wall. Where her hand touched, ice suddenly coated the entire section of wall, even freezing over a lantern above her head. This caused me to pause and drift back over to her, where Anna swiftly tagged me and continued running down the hallway. Elsa stared at me with my own blue eyes, looking as surprised as I felt. Still, I only cleaned up the mess, patted her hair (and odd mixture of my white and Rapunzel's blonde), and told her to be more careful. Reassured, she smiled and ran after her sister. I looked back at the spot that had just been frozen and shrugged. Even I still frosted surfaces by accident. This was nothing, right?

Then, one morning, the girls didn't come down for breakfast. Rapunzel and I ran up to their room, both of us expecting to see that they had simply played too late the night before, but the ballroom was absolutely dry when we passed. We got to their room, and Rapunzel reached for the doorknob but jumped back immediately, claiming it was ice cold. I felt it, too, then tried to open the door, but it was also frozen shut. I summoned a massive gust to blow it open and found myself in yet another winter wonderland of Elsa's creation, but she was still fast asleep. Anna, who was curled up on her bed, wrapped in her thickest blankets, explained how it had been this way ever since she had woken up that morning, but Elsa had been asleep the entire night, only opening her eyes as we forced our way in. She had nearly frozen her sister in her sleep.

Anna was treated to a hot bath and forgave Elsa almost immediately, being the bright, happy imp that she was, but Rapunzel and I were concerned. Elsa was eight years old, and her powers only became stronger each and every day, and as her strength grew, her control was getting weaker and weaker. It seemed that the winter dream had only been a one time thing, but when she was awake, we had to constantly watch out for her random spurts of energy. Windows would frost over by her skipping by, snow storms would break out inside if we tickled her, her baths had to be scalding hot to keep them from freezing right when she jumped in, and icicles would form if she ever threw a tantrum. We quickly concluded that even the tiniest bit of emotion set her off.

As parents, we loved seeing her happy. We smiled along with her as she guided snowflakes to her head to form a tiara, proudly proclaiming, "I am the Snow Queen!" Still, we were afraid. We considered moving her to a new room away from Anna for safety, but we knew how upset both of them were apart. We didn't know what was wrong. No matter how many hours I spent trying to teach her, her powers would inevitably fly out of control again. I loved my daughter beyond words and was proud of her powers, but I wondered how long it would be before she hurt someone.


	2. Chapter 2: Conceal Don't Feel

**Jack**

Our worst fears came true late one summer night. A week of celebration had just started in remembrance of when the lost princess Rapunzel returned to her kingdom. People were dancing and drinking and laughing even into midnight. My daughters both wanted to stay up and enjoy the parties, but we sent them to bed at their regular time and promised more playtime the next day. Elsa, the good girl she was, went to sleep before I even tucked her in, but Anna was restless, and Rapunzel and I had to run back into their room several times to tell her to go back to sleep. We always caught her dancing to the music outside or trying to bother her sister, which made me just a little nervous for her safety. I warned her one last time, gave her a cold kiss to the nose, and joined Rapunzel in the courtyard where she entertained a few guests that had not yet retired to their rooms. (Unfortunately, I could not relieve her of her duty as Queen, due to the fact that I was still having problems with being seen, but I tried to keep her company.)

I should have known that Anna wouldn't stay. It was probably very stupid of me to leave her like she was. Thinking back, it might have been easier just to carry Anna around for a while until she fell asleep. That way, I could have at least kept an eye on her, but no matter how many different ways I imagine how much better the situation could have gone, I still can't change the events that happened.

While I was out, Anna managed to wake up her sister and persuade her to use her powers despite all of the warnings we had given her. To this day, I still can't understand why she did it. There were too many people around, and she knew that her powers were getting out of hand. We were all worried that her magic might be discovered, but that wouldn't have been the worst thing to happen that night. Elsa created their usual icy playground in the ballroom which was (thankfully) empty that night. The grand ball wouldn't be until later that week, but Anna and Elsa danced and slipped on the ice to the music floating in from outside.

Anna just wouldn't tire out even though Elsa's lids were getting heavy. She kept crying for Elsa to go faster to keep up with her, eventually climbing on top of a snow drift that she would accidentally fall off. Elsa barely managed to catch her by creating another pile of snow. "Again!" Anna insisted, and they continued the game all around the room until the piles of snow reached the chandelier. Anna jumped off before Elsa was ready, and in her desperation to catch her sister, she misaimed an icy blast of magic, accidentally hitting Anna in the head. Anna crashed to the ground, unconscious.

"Mother! Father! Help!" I heard outside. Our guests all paused at the sound of Elsa's voice and respectfully moved out of our way as we raced towards her. Inside the ballroom, ice continued to spread, coating the walls and freezing the chandelier. A cold wind whipped Elsa's braids around her head. We found her cradling Anna, begging her to wake up. Where the magic had struck her, Anna's hair had turned white. Rapunzel cried out and took her youngest daughter in her arms while I ran to Elsa, who had begun to cry tears that turned to snowflakes before they hit the ground. The wind howled stronger.

"Elsa! Enough!" I scolded, calming the storm and clearing the room of ice. I knelt down next to her in the frost that surrounded her that even my magic couldn't push away. Sobbing, she explained to me what had happened, and I consoled her, took her by the hand, and led her to the den where Rapunzel had taken Anna.

A servant had lit a fire despite it being summer, and Rapunzel had wrapped her in her golden locks and had begun to sing in a grief-stricken voice. I wanted to reach out and comfort her, and I knew Elsa wanted to, as well, but we both stayed where we were. I knew Rapunzel needed to concentrate, and Elsa's emotions had not yet gotten under control. She had left a trail of frost footprints where we had walked and was constantly surrounded by a circle of ice. She held tight to me, the only thing that she couldn't accidentally freeze solid.

Finally, as Rapunzel sang the last verse of her special song, a smile spread across Anna's face, and she appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Rapunzel gave a sigh of relief and clutched Anna to her, sobbing with joy. "Will she be okay?" Elsa sniffled.

"She's alive," her mother answered quietly. "But you hit her in the head. I'm not quite sure what the effects will be."

Elsa looked down at her feet, biting her lip. "This is all my fault."

I knelt down beside her and sat her on my knee. "Listen, you have to get your powers under control."

"I'm trying! I didn't mean to!" The ice spread closer to Rapunzel, who then hugged Anna closer (somehow) and scooted a little farther away. This only put Elsa in more distress, which caused the ice to spread further, and...it's a vicious cycle.

I hugged her close to me and stroked her hair, trying to calm her down. "I know, honey. I know, but from now on, we just need to work a little harder on keeping your powers to yourself."

"How?"

"Well, it might be time to move into your own room." Elsa looked distraught, but took a deep breath and nodded, trying already to keep herself from getting out of control. "That's good," I praised. "Watch your emotions. They trigger the power."

Elsa and I left Rapunzel and Anna alone in the den while we moved Elsa's furniture to a different room across the hall from the one she shared with Anna. Rapunzel later asked the servants to escort the guests to their rooms for the night. I kissed Elsa goodnight and asked her to try and get some sleep, but before I closed the door, she mumbled, "It's awfully lonely in here." It broke my heart to hear her say that, but I closed the door anyway, assisted by a cold gust of wind from nowhere. Back at the den, Rapunzel had closed the door to keep out the staff and guests. A soft glow came from underneath the door, and I heard her singing inside, even though Anna was already healed. I decided to let her focus and floated out a nearby window for some of my own alone time on top of a castle tower, staring at the moon and just wondering.

I finally had a family. Could it really be falling apart already?

I had drifted to sleep at some point, and I woke up right at dawn and ran back inside to check on Anna, leaving a trail of morning frost in my wake. At the door, I was delighted to hear her little giggle inside. "Wake up, Mama! The sky's awake! I'm awake!" I laughed a little. Rapunzel must have dozed off, as well.

"I'm coming, sweetie, but how are you feeling? Are you okay?"

"You asked me that already, Mama."

"I know. I'm just trying to make sure after last night."

"What are you talking about, Mama?"

Shocked, I drew away from the door. Did she not remember what happened? Did getting hit in the head cause some sort of amnesia? "Nothing, honey," I heard Rapunzel say.

"Let's go get Elsa! I want to play!" The door burst open, and my daughter came skipping out.

I held my arms out to her. "There's my g-" Before I could finish, Anna ran right through me. No, that just couldn't happen. That was impossible. My own daughter. "No no no no..." I gasped for breath and leaned against the wall for support. I was having some sort of panic attack. How could this happen?

Rapunzel stood staring in the doorway, having seen it all. She looked as ready to cry as I was. When Anna had disappeared down to hall, she ran to me and threw her arms around me, comforting me. After a minute, she explained, "She doesn't remember any of it. She doesn't remember last night, and she's completely forgotten about any magic. Yours. Mine. Elsa's."

"Elsa? Where are you?" Anna's voice echoed down the hall. Rapunzel dried her tears and ran to her, and I followed with a heavy, cold heart. Anna stood in the middle of her half-empty bedroom, calling her sister's name, not comprehending her absence.

Rapunzel tried to explain the situation as delicately as possible. "Anna, Elsa is a big girl now, and big girls sometimes need their own rooms. They just need to be alone for a while."

"But where is she? How long does she have to be alone? Doesn't she want to see me?"

"Of course she does, and she's right across the hall, but we should just let her be right now. Now, go get dressed for breakfast, and I'll see you in a bit." Rapunzel kissed her on the forehead, and she ran back inside her lonely room. Rapunzel walked back to my side, resting her head on my shoulder.

"Maybe it's for the best," I said suddenly. Rapunzel stared at me like I was crazy. "Magic is what hurt her. Maybe people are right to be afraid of it. It might be best for everyone if we keep it all a complete secret. In the meantime, I'll teach Elsa how to control her powers. They're only going to get stronger, and she won't be able to keep them hidden much longer."

"What do we do?"

I knew she was going to hate me for what I said next. Rapunzel had been locked away for far too long, and she needed the sunshine, but we had to do what we had to do. "Close the gates. Hide Elsa from the world. At least for a little while." To my great surprise, Rapunzel nodded, willing to give up anything for her daughter.

"But at what cost to Elsa and Anna? Elsa's powers go crazy with emotion. If they keep getting stronger like this, she won't be allowed to feel at all, and Anna loves her sister. We'd have to hide Elsa from her own sister to keep them safe."

"At least they'd be alive."

"Yes, I suppose that's best. I know you're giving up a lot for this."

"So are you."

With heavy hearts, we canceled the rest of the celebration and sent every guest home. The castle gates were closed to the world to keep the world from Elsa. I tried to teach her, which helped keep my mind off of the pain of not being able to play with Anna, but like we predicted, her powers kept getting stronger and stronger to the point where even a smile would frost every window, and a tear would cause a blizzard. To keep it under control, we had to cover nearly every inch of skin on her body except her face. She wore long sleeves even in summer and always kept gloves on. There were also changes in me and Rapunzel. She had started keeping her hair in a thick braid so that less people might suspect it of being unnatural, and all of this time Anna ran around every inch of the castle, bored out of her mind, but Elsa never gained control of her powers. As the years wore on, we only grew more and more isolated.


	3. Chapter 3: Fear Itself

**Elsa**

"Anna!" I cried. "ANNA!" She just wouldn't wake up. I shook her and kept screaming, but she was frozen solid. "Help! Somebody Help! Please!" The only sound was the howling wind and the echoes of Anna's screams. It was just me and her. We were all alone in a frozen wasteland. I knew somehow that this was all my fault. I held Anna closer to my chest. "Please help! I'm so scared!"

And just as soon I said that, Anna started falling apart. Her body began to dissolve into millions of snowflakes that blew into the wind faster than I could catch them. "No! NO! Anna! Wake up! Wake up!" I continued screaming in horror until my voice got lost in the wind, which only grew the more I panicked. Anna was nearly gone, and I would be all alone in the darkness. "WAKE UP!"

I shot up in bed, breaking through the snow that had covered my blanket. My room had frozen solid once again. I placed a hand on my heart and gasped for breath, trying not to cry. I needed to get my emotions under control.

"Elsa, dear?" asked my mother's muffled voice on the other side of my bedroom door. "Are you alright? What's going on in there? Your door-"

"I'm fine," I said quickly. She didn't need to finish. My ice must have bled into the hallway.

"Are you sure? Do you need me to come in there?"

"I said I'm fine!" I snapped. The ice closest to me cracked at the lie. She always asked that. Didn't she know I could hurt her?

"Elsa?" asked another voice farther down the hall.

"Anna, not now. Head downstairs, honey."

"Is she okay?"

"Not now. Come on. Let's go get breakfast."

I heard the echoes of their footsteps grow softer as they walked to the other end of the hallway and disappeared down a massive staircase. I was alone again. I sighed, whether in relief or out of sadness, I'm not quite sure. Mother had rushed Anna away to keep her from seeing the mess that was certainly just outside the door. It was a good thing that our rooms were so far apart now. I used to stay right across the hall from her, but as the years went by, it became necessary for me to move farther down the hall to keep her from finding out about me again. To keep her from getting hurt again.

I hauled myself out of bed and strode barefoot to my massive closet over the ice. The cold never bothered me, anyway. Still, I had to dress in warmer clothes than normal to cover my skin. I chose a long green dress with a high neckline, braided my hair back into a severe bun, and slipped on my leather gloves. "Conceal. Don't feel," I chanted to myself as I walked back over to my bed. I needed to get it under control before someone saw, so I continued the mantra I learned as I child. "Conceal. Don't-"

"Bad dream?"

I jumped, and if I hadn't been wearing my gloves, the whole castle might have frozen. As it was, more ice cracked around me. I turned around and sighed with real relief when I saw who it was. "Dad!" I ran up and hugged him, the only person I wasn't afraid to be close to.

"I didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't. You just startled me. I was already a little upset." We walked over to my bed.

"I noticed," he laughed. He cleared up the snow so that we could sit. I still had never figured out how to do that. "What was the nightmare this time?"

"They're always the same. You know that. They're worse when you're gone, though." Ashamed, I folded my hands in my lap as he went to work cleaning my room for me. There were several layers of ice that he had to go through. I'd had plenty of nightmares since he left to bring winter to parts of the world. He tried to go out less and less to stay with me, causing a lack of cold everywhere. People complained all the time now about global warming. "It just gets stronger. I can't control it."

"I know. Just cal-"

"I am calm," I lied, deadpan.

"It's just the bogeyman messing with you. The nightmares aren't real."

"But the fear is." Dad stopped and gave me the oddest look then. He walked over and sat next to me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Yes. Yes, it is," he told me, completely serious. "But like I said, the bogeyman's just messing with you. Don't let him get to you. Try not to be afraid."

"You always say that. What even is a bogeyman?"

"Have I never told you? Not after twenty-one years?" I shook my head. He'd only mentioned it, but I'd never really asked before. "Wow. Okay, let's see. Well, he's sort of like me, I guess. Not really. Maybe. It's kind of hard to explain. He's like what I am. Heck, I don't think I even know what I am."

"You mean, he has powers?" I asked, trying to make sense of his rambling. I looked down at my own hands.

"Yes, but not over cold, and he can't be seen unless he's believed in, either, but plenty of people fear him. They just don't know it."

"How could they fear him if they don't believe in him?"

"Because that's his power. He is fear. Just like how people get cold when I'm around, even though they don't see me. He can scare you without you seeing him. Just don't be afraid, and he can't hurt you. Promise me you won't be afraid anymore."

"I promise," I said slowly, wondering how on earth I was going to do that. "How do I know if he's here?"

"Do you believe now?"

"Yes."

"Good. You'll know. Just don't be afraid." He smiled and patted my back.

I nodded but kept my hands in my lap just to be safe. "Are you afraid?" I asked. If he could do it, so could I.

Dad frowned, and so did I. "Yes. Sometimes. Sometimes, I'm afraid of losing you, your mother, or your sister, but I still try to be brave." He kissed me on the forehead and started to get up and leave.

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of," I mumbled before he reached the door. "But I'll try, too."

"Good girl," he praised. "Now, why don't you come down and join me for breakfast in a little bit. It'll be nice to catch up."

"Mom's down there."

"All the better. Come-"

"With Anna." I saw Dad stop. His back was to me, but I knew the sadness he was hiding.

"Oh, okay then," he said, trying to be brave. "We'll catch up later, then." He floated away. I knew he missed Anna as much as I did. With my hands behind my back, I wandered out into the hallway to watch him go. As I turned to go back in, though, my foot unexpectedly caught a patch of wet ice, and I fell on my back. I could see where my ice had spread to the ceiling. Long, melting icicles pointed down at me, dripping water on my face. I stood back up, a little wetter than before, and stared at my doorway in awe. Ice coated the entire frame, forming intricate swirls flowing out to the rest of the wall. More icicles hung in a decorative row at the top. It was beautiful like the gates of the palace, but I was terrified.

My powers were definitely getting stronger, and I just couldn't stop them. This massive thing was my creation. It was a miracle that Anna hadn't seen it. I ran back inside and slammed the doors shut, hearing the icicles outside fall and shatter as I did. I needed to stay isolated. I needed to get under control. I threw my gloves on the bed and started chanting again. I had to try. This all needed to stop. "Conceal. Don't feel. Conceal. Don't feel. Don't be afraid, Elsa. You're not afraid."

I took a deep breath and walked to the window, where outside, summer was in full swing, and Anna was dancing about in the flowers. Maybe, just maybe, I could open the window. Maybe I could control it for just a little while just to see the sister I missed so much. I smiled and laughed as a butterfly landed on Anna's nose, but the image was gone so suddenly. My window frosted over completely, and no matter how many times I wiped at it, the frost spread back over the empty space, creating its own intricate floral patterns. "No!" I backed away into my bed, which was also coated in a fine frost. "I just can't!" I cried out, curling up on the cold sheets. I started to cry. "No..." I closed my eyes as snow began to fall in my room.

**Pitch**

I watched from the shadows, that being all I could do. Elsa was afraid, very afraid, and I thrived in her fear and how powerful it was. Here was this young girl with enough power to be feared by others, but she was too afraid to use it. It was really quite funny. I had started considering her as a possible ally. With my help, we could bring fear to so many. And now that she knew who I was, maybe it was time to introduce myself. Maybe I could help her see the endless possibilities of her gift. She could rule with fear. She just needed some kind of mentor, a guide, someone to show her the way, and who better than myself.

What made it even better was whose daughter she just so happened to be.

Jack had a family. It was disgusting, really. Did he really expect to be able to settle down? He would live long past all of them (unless, of course, Elsa shared his longevity). Maybe it was all up to me to bring him to cold reality. If I could distance Elsa from him, give the "family" that last dose of fear they needed, everything would fall apart and fall apart in my favor. I would rule and be feared, and Jack would go back to being nothing, the way it should be.

I looked down from my place in the shadow under the balcony. His sunnier daughter, the one that took after her mother, was smiling and having fun in the garden, and she didn't even believe in her father. How sickening. In the meantime, a horribly bright butterfly drifted past me to Elsa's window, and it froze solid as it passed. I watched it fall and shatter with Anna being completely oblivious. I grinned. This would be fun.

**Jack**

I finally got to see Rapunzel alone late that afternoon. Anna had gone in for supper, and she stood on the back balcony overlooking the garden. "I missed you," I said, kissing her on the cheek. She didn't respond, except for a slight twitch from my cold touch. She kept her eyes on the sun. "What's wrong?"

"I can't live like this, Jack," she told me after a long pause.

"I know, but-"

"No! You don't know! I spent my whole life locked in a tower for my own safety! I can't do this anymore!" she yelled. I nodded solemnly, and neither of us said anything for quite a while.

"I want it to stop, too, but what are we going to do about Elsa?" After all these years, I still hadn't figured out what was going on with her. Nothing I did taught her control, and it just got worse.

"Elsa's lonely, too. She just won't say it. She's not supposed to feel, remember?" Rapunzel huffed and leaned on the balcony railing.

"I don't know what else to do."

"Open the gates."

"Wait, what?"

"Just this once. Please, Jack. The celebration is coming up soon, and we haven't taken part in years. What does that say to my people? I need to be out there, and so does Elsa, the next in line for the throne, and Anna is simply bored. Her life hasn't begun and she's waiting for it to. We all need out, at least just for the week. Please, Jack." She turned to me, and I could see the determination in her eyes. She wasn't going to give up, and I knew that she had a point. Getting out might even be good for Elsa to learn how to keep her powers in check with people, and she was going to be their queen eventually.

"Alright." Rapunzel threw her arms around me, smiling.

"I knew you'd understand. I'm sorry about what I said. I know you've been suffering, too."

"No, you were completely right." I hugged her back, and we stayed that way for a while in the last light of the day as the sun disappeared behind the castle walls.

Rapunzel pulled back. "You'll have to tell Elsa. She won't let me in anymore." I nodded, and we stood on the balcony, watching the stars light up one by one and the night roll in. There was no moon that night.

As we stood, enjoying each other's company, I still felt tension in the air. We were both afraid, but neither of us would say it. As excited as we were for the celebration, there was still the huge chance that something could go wrong. When the shadows started playing tricks on our eyes, we headed inside together.

**Elsa**

I was starving. I hadn't eaten all day, but I had been panicking, and I had promised Dad that I wouldn't be afraid. I shed my heavy clothes for a comfortable nightgown but kept my hair up and my gloves by my bed just in case. Before I went to sleep, I sat with my back to the window and chanted, wishing for an easy night's sleep for once. "Conceal. Don't feel. Don't be afraid. You're not afraid."

"Of course you are. What a horrible lie," taunted a voice.

"Who are you?" I yelled, looking around wildly for the source of the voice, but my room was dark and empty. I could feel my panic rising and frost spreading under my fingers._ Don't feel. Don't feel!_

"I think you know," said the voice, and I realized immediately who it was. I believed now, therefore, I could hear him, but I still couldn't see him for some reason.

"I'm not afraid!"

"Liar!"

"I'm not!" The voice only cackled, knowing he was right. Frost was slowly crawling over my entire room. It had almost reached the walls.

"You're afraid of hurting someone, afraid of losing control, but you never really had it, did you? You're so afraid of losing control that your fear triggers it. Go ahead and tell me I'm wrong."

"SHUT UP!" More laughter from the voice.

"Boo!" Where before, it had come from all around me, it now originated right behind me. I got up and whirled around to see a tall, black-cloaked figure holding a scythe just above my head. He swung it around to strike, but for the first time, I used my powers offensively and blasted him with everything I had. He stumbled and backed into the window. The scythe dissolved into shadow. I smiled, confidant that I had won until I heard him laugh again.

"Doesn't work on me," he chuckled. I turned and ran to the door, but without knowing it, I had frozen my room solid again, and a thick layer of ice coated the doors. I scratched and punched at it, but it wouldn't budge. "It's amazing what you do when you're afraid. Beautiful, really."

"Get back!" I screamed, and I hurled another blast of magic at him which he countered with his own. The ensuing explosion blinded me for a moment.

"I'm actually not here to hurt you, only to offer you a deal."

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" I shrieked, closing my eyes. I was losing it, and I knew it.

"You live in fear when all those out there should fear you. You are better than all of them. I realize it, Elsa, and you should to. You should have all of them in the palm of your hand, and I can help you, Elsa. Just look at what we can do together." Somewhat against my will, I opened my eyes, and suddenly, in the middle of my room stood a massive ice sculpture. Inside the ice were swirling black tendrils forming intricate patterns. It took my breath away. It was...

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he asked, stepping out from behind it. I pressed against the wall harder but mustered up enough courage to form a coherent sentence.

"I want you out of here."

"You can call me Pitch, by the way. Pitch Black. Not just the bogeyman."

"I said get out!" I stomped my foot, and all around me, the ice shattered, including the beautiful, breathtaking sculpture.

As the shards fell, Pitch gave a mock bow and started to disappear. "I'll be here when you need me."

In the blink of an eye, he was gone, and I was all alone again and feeling somewhat colder than before. Exhausted, I fell to my knees on the broken ice, breathing hard. My heart wouldn't stop beating out of fear. That horrible, horrible man! But...

I picked up what was left up the sculpture and examined the strange black shapes the ice had once held. What Pitch had said actually made sense. I had spent so long being afraid, and that had gotten me nowhere. What if he was right? What if I was better than all of this. Scared and confused, I began to cry over the broken sculpture as snow fell in my hair, on my face, and down my nightgown, but the cold didn't bother me.


	4. Chapter 4: The Lost Princess

**Jack**

The next morning, I flew up to Elsa's room early to wake her up and tell her the news. If she freaked out about it, I would need time to help clean up the mess, but when I got there, I realized that there was already a mess to clean up. I didn't notice it at first because my feet weren't touching the ground, but a steady stream of water was leaking out from under her door. Worried, I burst in without announcing myself and found her curled up and soaking wet in her floor, surrounded by large chunks of melted ice. I rushed over. "Elsa? Elsa, are you alright? What happened?"

Elsa slowly opened her red eyes and looked up at me, having been asleep. She didn't look like she had slept very well, though, or maybe she had been crying. Maybe both. At first, she didn't say anything. She opened her eyes wide and quickly looked at her hand. Then, her face fell, and she let some water trickle out of her hand, staring at it curiously. "Elsa?" I asked, getting more concerned by the second.

"I let him get to me," she sighed after a long moment, still staring at her wet hand.

"Oh, honey." I drew her in for a hug, but she didn't respond and remained limp in my arms. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said tartly. I pulled back and stared at her sadly. She was shutting me out. She never shut me out. Elsa didn't look back at me and continued watching her hand. "Just help me clean this up." Elsa stood and wandered around the room, dreamlike, picking up some pieces of ice. I knew she wasn't in the mood, and it probably wasn't the best time to tell her after whatever Pitch put her through last night, but I figured that it would be better to tell her before we cleaned up one mess in case she panicked and made another.

"Elsa, before you do, we need to talk." She dropped all of the ice on the ground and watched it shatter without reacting.

"About what?" she asked, deadpan. I cringed inside. She was absolutely exhausted, not her usual high-strung self. For once, she actually was too tired to feel, but when I told her, I was terrified of how she might react. People make mistakes when they're tired.

I drifted over to her bed - also soaked - and sat down. "Come here." I tried to smile reassuringly, but she didn't move. She didn't even look at me. "Elsa, your mother and I have decided that we need to open the gates," I informed her, getting right to the point.

Finally, she looked at me, her eyes wild. "WHAT?" Every last drop of water immediately froze. I figured that she would react that way.

"Elsa, please calm down! It's only for a week!"

"How could you do this? You know I can't control myself! I'll hurt somebody! You know that!" A blizzard quickly whipped up and whirled around her, the winds nearly drowning out her words.

"No! You think that! Elsa, I believe in you!" I yelled over the wind. She still refused to listen, and the storm raged on. I eventually had to use my magic to stop her. In a flash, the tornado of flurries that surrounded her exploded, and what was left of it softly fell to the ground. Stubborn as she was, she clutched at her head and knelt on the ice. I flew over to her, grabbed her shoulders, and turned her around to face me. She was crying again. "I believe in you," I repeated.

Elsa took a deep breath, nodded in understanding, and stood up with me, pushing back locks of hair that had come loose from her bun. "Just promise me you'll try. This is very important to your mother, and it will be good for our family to get out of the house for once. Also, you are next in line for the throne, and you're finally of age, but the people don't know you. They need to see you, so promise me you will go out and try."

"I promise," she mumbled.

I smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "Good girl. Just don't let anything get to you, and you'll be fine. Now, go get dressed while I clean this mess up because you are going down to breakfast to-"

"What?"

"You're going to have to face your sister sometime, so you might as well start now. You're both going to be celebrating together. You can't avoid her forever, and remember, you promised me that you would try." Elsa looked like she wanted to protest, but instead, she stormed into her closet and slammed the doors behind her.

**Anna**

Breakfast was awkward. I knew that something was up as soon as I walked into the dining hall and saw Elsa sitting at the table next to Mother. I had caught glimpses of her every so often, but I hadn't really seen my sister in years. She looked beautiful, regal, and very sad. She didn't look up at me when I entered, only staring at her oatmeal, scooping small spoonfuls into her mouth with gloved hands. She moved very stiffly. Mom smiled and excitedly motioned for me to join them. The contrast between the two only made the situation more awkward.

Slowly, watching both of them cautiously, I approached and took my seat. A servant gave me a hot bowl of oatmeal and a spoon, and I started to eat silently like my sister, keeping an eye on both of them, trying to figure out what was going on. I must have given up watching at some point because I never heard Elsa set down her spoon or clear her throat. "Good morning, Anna," she said suddenly. I jumped and nearly choked on my breakfast. Could Elsa really be talking to me? I looked up at her and saw her staring nervously back, waiting for a reply.

I sat up straight, copying her rigid position. "Good morning." The words sounded unbelievably forced to me, but so had hers. Neither of us said anything else, and mother only looked back and forth between the two of us, waiting to see what we would do next. It was weird. After all these years, after never seeing each other or speaking to each other, after all those times I longed for her companionship, we suddenly didn't have anything to say to each other, or maybe we just didn't know what to say. Maybe both. It got so awkward that after a long stretch of silence, I couldn't bear to sit still and continue looking her in the eye. I fidgeted and looked away, trying to find something, anything else to focus on. I twiddled my thumbs, shifted positions in my seat, and brushed back nonexistent stray strands of hair.

Abruptly, Elsa stood up. Without a word, she rushed out of the room, and no one said anything until the echo of the door slamming died away and we were sure that she was gone. "What the heck was that about?" I blurted out.

Mom cleared her throat and gave me a wide smile. "I have a big announcement to make. For the upcoming lost princess celebration, I have decided to open the gates for the week."

I was so shocked that I leapt out of my chair. "Really?" I could hardly believe it, but Mother stood up with me and nodded, still smiling. "Omigosh! This is amazing! I'm finally going to get to go outside! People are going to get to come inside! I'm going to meet people I'm so excited!" I threw my arms around my mom. "This will be the best thing ever!"

"I'm so glad you're happy about it. I'm just happy that I'll be able to greet old friends in the kingdom again and be out in the sun and dance." Mom was practically jumping up and down, her long, heavy braid swaying as we spun each other around in circles. This explained Elsa's moodiness this time around. She wasn't fond of visitors. "It will be wonderful for us all to get out of this dusty, old castle. You, me, Elsa."

"Wait, what? Elsa's actually going outside?" I had figured that she would stay in her room like always. I had barely seen her outside of her room. This was too good to be true!

"Reluctantly, but yes. She's next in line for the throne and old enough to be queen, but no one has ever seen her since she was a young girl. Whether she wants to or not, she's going out and getting to know her people."

"I want to," I assured her.

Mother stroked my cheek, continuing to smile. "I know, sweetie." Then, we both squealed out loud, unable to contain our excitement.

The next few weeks went too slowly. I watched intently as the servants wiped all the windows to clarity, trimmed the garden in the courtyard, and polished the ballroom floor all in preparation for the dignified guests that would be staying with us during the celebration. We had never had guests before! I could only smile, skip around, and stare at the old grandfather clock in the den, watching the hours tick by, each second bringing me to freedom. Every once in a while, I would purposefully pass by Elsa's room. I never stopped to say anything to her anymore - she had long ago stopped responding - but I would listen as I walked, and sometimes I thought I heard her speaking or the wind shake the doors. I assumed that she left her window open often when I wasn't in the garden.

Finally, the day came! I woke up bright and early thanks to a servant - I am not a natural early riser - and was bouncing off the walls and sliding down the banister. I ran into the sparkling ballroom, all lit up for once with every window opened and candle lit, and playfully practiced my dancing. After a while, Mom joined me in a flowing pink gown that I only saw her wear on special occasions and flowers decorating her customary braid. I remarked on how beautiful she looked and she returned the compliment. I knew she was just being nice as I glanced at my new green dress with sleeves that wouldn't quit sliding down my shoulders. Mother was practically glowing. Laughing, we both threw off our shoes and danced barefoot together.

Then, the time came for the doors to open to the public. I stood right up against them and raced out as soon as there was a crack large enough for me to slip through. I was greeted with thunderous applause from the crowds that had gathered at the gates. I wound my way through, introducing myself, shaking hands and giving hugs, and for the first time in forever, feeling free.

**Elsa**

I paused at the door, taking deep breaths to calm myself. Even though I wore my gloves, I was trying to be careful. This day had come too soon. I turned to Dad and pleaded for the last time, "Do I have to?"

He held me close. "You'll be fine. You always are. Just remember to not let anything get to you, but go out and have a good time." I glared. He knew I had to watch my emotions. "Now, you won't be able to talk to me out there since you're the only one who can see me, but I'll be there if you need me."

"If?"

"Don't worry. You're fine. I believe in you." He trapped me in a strong hug and kissed me on the cheek. He started to float back, but before he left me, he held out his hands. "Remember. Conceal..."

"Don't feel," I finished, placing my hands in his. He gave them a comforting squeeze before finally drifting off.

"Be careful," he called out behind him. "You might actually have fun."

I frowned and refrained from saying the smart-alec remark I thought out loud. Then the doors opened, and sunlight flooded in, making my pale skin appear to be glowing. I was blinded for a moment, but my eyes soon adjusted, and I held my head high and walked forward, reminding myself to stay calm. Crowds cheered me on as I walked out on a red carpet that made a path down to the town. I kept my eyes forward, not letting any sound really reach me. Somewhere above me, someone announced me to the crowd, and the noise rose. I started to feel a little nervous, so I clasped my hands together in front of me, just to be safe. I closed my eyes, trying to block it all out.

Something cold hit my nose. Then, another. A snowflake. I briefly panicked. I felt fine! I couldn't be losing control already! Then, I saw him standing on the archway that led off of the castle grounds. It was only Dad, and the message was clear. _Don't worry. Have fun._ I took yet another deep breath to steady myself and actually smiled and looked at my subjects. So far, so good. I even got brave enough to wave. Dad was right. I was fine.

I wandered around town, even tentatively shaking a few hands, which was the most nerve-racking thing I did all day, and I stopped after a while to avoid any accidents from nervousness. I hardly saw Dad all day because like he said, I didn't need him. However, Pitch was always hanging around me, and it terrified me. I saw him in every shadow cast by innocent stores and houses. He didn't speak to me or move when I saw him. He only smiled and watched me move with his bright yellow eyes, as if he was waiting for me. He was so sure that I would need him.

I got so nervous that I actually sought out Anna for company. Being alone with Pitch nearly scared me more than speaking to my sister. I found her talking to a strong ice salesman. Arguing more like it. From what I heard, apparently he was leaving the celebration to get more ice from the surrounding mountains, and that didn't sit well with Anna, who saw this celebration as the best thing ever. Thinking I'd better relieve the poor guy, I walked quietly up behind her. "Hey," I said, offering a small smile. She started and spun around, and the ice salesman took the opportunity to slip away.

**Anna**

Elsa was actually speaking to me. Voluntarily. And she was outside. I thought I had to be dreaming. "Hey," I replied shyly. I still wasn't sure what to say to her, but to my surprise, she actually took the lead in the conversation, even if it did sound a tad forced and nervous.

"So this is a party. It's nice. Everyone's so happy." She looked out at the people dancing in the streets.

"Yeah, it's very nice," I said awkwardly.

"You're getting along with everybody well," she remarked. "But I'm pretty sure that you didn't hit it off with that guy." To my great surprise, something that sounded almost like a laugh came out of Elsa's mouth, and I couldn't help but giggle along.

"You're not doing so bad yourself," I complimented, genuinely surprised that she had actually been speaking to people. To me. "Hey, do you think we might have the chance to me the one?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know. The one. The love of our lives. In all the books I read, it's just like BAM! You see the person, you speak to them, and you just know. You know that you're meant to be together forever." I sighed dreamily.

"What kind of books do you read?" Elsa asked, smiling.

"Don't tell me you never wonder about it. Mom says she never expected Dad finding her, but it happened."

"No, I actually don't think on it too much," Elsa said.

"Oh." I should have known, Elsa being the recluse that she was. Well, actually, I shouldn't have. I never saw her. I didn't know what she liked or what she thought or how she felt. The two of us could be totally different.

Elsa sniffed the air. "What is that wonderful smell?"

I imitated the motion, and at the same time, we both smiled and turned to each other. "Chocolate!" we exclaimed in unison. Together, we found the salesman and bought a box and began to share it. We didn't talk too much after that, but it was nice to just sit and enjoy the moment.

"Do you think it's possible, though?" I asked after we finished off the entire box, careful not to get any on our gowns.

"What?"

"That there's a chance to meet the one?" I was absolutely enamored with the idea of true love. I wanted it so badly, and this was my one chance to find it, but I also wanted to know that Elsa might approve of my idea.

"You never know," she answered cryptically. I decided to take that as a yes.

Later that evening, there was a small gathering of guests in the castle courtyard. I danced around with the fireflies for a while and met more people, trying to keep an eye out for my one true love, just in case. I found Elsa, though, and I wandered over to her, feeling much more confidant around her, and she was actually happy to see me. I asked what she was doing, having seen her kind of acting strange, standing over in the shadow of a tree by herself, but she kept whatever it was to herself and started me on another conversation. I didn't mind, though.

We stood together and watched the party. Mom was enjoying the company of old friends who were grateful to see their 'lost princess' once again. I looked over at my very own lost princess, my sister who had left me for years, but I felt that for the first time in forever, she was opening up to me. Maybe I might get my lost princess back in this celebration.

"Nice night," Elsa commented, looking up at the almost full moon as the clouds pulled away from it. I saw her clearly in the light and saw that she wasn't actually smiling, for some reason. In the moonlight, her blonde hair looked as white as snow.

"Yes," I agreed. Elsa was standing very stiffly again with her hands clasped in front of her. I wondered what on earth had made her so nervous again.

I had said 'maybe.'


	5. Chapter 5: One Day More

**Anna**

The week was going by too quickly. Each day was a flurry of parties and dancing and just enjoying life. I actually got to entertain guests! I still didn't see Elsa too often, but when I did, we would have nice conversations with each other and laugh. I couldn't remember the last time I heard Elsa laugh. Still, I often felt like there was some sort of barrier between us. She refused to stand close to me and always looked so rigid and scared when she was talking to me, and she actually talked to me more than I did to her, which was amazing. I actually felt like I had a sister for once.

Elsa wasn't avoiding me too much anymore, but she was outrageously uncomfortable around everyone else. She always came down for breakfast early before the chilly night's frost had even melted and finished eating before any of our guests had woken up. I'd seen her shake hands with a few foreign dignitaries, but it always looked painful for her, and I more often saw her give a polite nod.

Another weird thing I noticed from being around her more were her gloves. She never took them off. Ever. It was the middle of summer, and she was dressed in long sleeves, a cape, and gloves. Once during the week, I accidentally brushed against her while we were walking, and she totally freaked out, and I was a little worried myself. Even through her thick clothes, I could feel how cold she was. I wondered if she was sick or something. Maybe she had some kind of horrible disease that she covered up with the long clothes and she hid because she was embarrassed of it. Though that explanation would make sense, I never got the chance to ask her because like I said, she freaked out and ran back to her room, and every time I saw her since then, she made a point to stay at least three feet away from me when we spoke. I never brought it back up, either. I was too scared that she would react badly and leave me again.

She might also just have a thing about germs. Huh.

I also tried to keep my eyes peeled for the love of my life, but so far, no dice. There were plenty of eligible princes that had come to the kingdom for the celebration, and I learned from one that they were actually being forced to come to meet us, the princesses, because this might be their kingdom's one chance to arrange a union with our elusive royal family. Well, that wasn't very romantic. I eventually took to avoiding them altogether (even though nearly every romance I read about involved some handsome prince) because it just got awkward, knowing that all of their bows and charming smiles were just for my kingdom. That every kind word or helpful gesture or longing gaze...oh, why couldn't I just fall in love with one of them already? No matter what, I just never felt that BAM I was expecting. Maybe a flutter, but no love at first sight, and I was running out of time.

Then, there was that ice guy who I wish would give me the time of day, not because I liked him but because it annoyed me to no end that he refused to take part in the celebration. Every day, it was all about just getting more ice. On the bright side, he was moving back and forth so much between the town and the mountain that he was easy to avoid.

Saturday came too quickly for my tastes. It felt like only yesterday that the celebration had begun. I thought I had savored every minute of my freedom, so how come it didn't last as long as it should have? When I got over the shock of that realization when I woke up Saturday morning, I thought back on all the good times I'd had in the past week just so I wouldn't forget them. I remembered talking with handsome strangers (sadly, none of whom were the one), Mother painting for the first time since I was little and leading dance circles in the cobblestone streets of the town, and Elsa and I sharing chocolate and thoughts. With all the happiness the week had brought, the fact that it was so close to being over nearly brought me to tears. I didn't want things to go back to the way they used to be.

I sat and thought just a little while longer, trying to find some way around this, but after coming up with nothing, I got up and dressed in record time, determined to make the most of my last day of freedom. I was so early in getting ready that I actually managed to catch Elsa at breakfast, and she didn't look too well. She didn't react when I came into the empty dining hall, not because she was choosing to ignore me but because she was falling asleep in her seat. She'd hardly touched the hot breakfast laid out before her. As I drew closer, I noticed dark circles under her eyes that must have been forming for weeks that I had never taken the time to notice before now. She looked absolutely exhausted. I thought back to my earlier theory that she might be sickly. Maybe all of the excitement of the week had completely drained her energy.

I took my seat across from her. She didn't stir. "Elsa?" I said quietly. Still, no response. Carefully, I started to reach toward her to tap her on the shoulder and maybe wake her up. My fingers were centimeters away from her thickly clothed shoulder. "Elsa?" I repeated, much louder than before. This woke her up. Elsa suddenly sat straight up and cried out. Then, seeing me, her eyes grew wide and terrified, and she cupped a gloved hand to her mouth and backed away from my fingers. I withdrew my hand quickly, hoping that I didn't offend her too badly this time. Calming down, Elsa moved her hand from her mouth to her heavily beating heart and finally clasped it behind her back with the other one.

"Anna, you scared me," she told me, trying very hard to keep her voice sounding calm.

Of course, I couldn't see how on earth she was scared of me. Well, she did lock herself in her room for about thirteen years to avoid me. Was that it? Was she scared of me? Why was she scared of me? Gah! This was all so confusing!

"Are you okay, Elsa?" I asked. "You don't look very well."

"I'm fine, Anna," she insisted almost before I had even finished speaking. I jumped at the harshness of her voice. Something definitely felt wrong, or maybe she was always like this, or...too confusing! She was my sister, and as close as I thought I had gotten to her in the past week, I still felt like I knew nothing about her. How was I supposed to know how she would react to certain things? I wanted to know, though. I wanted to have my sister back more than anything. I could still remember, though I was very young, when we would always play together. We hardly spent a moment apart, and now, we hardly ever spent a moment together.

Without another word, Elsa swiftly left the room, leaving me to poke at the breakfast she had left behind, which had become ice cold from her neglecting of it.

I ate quickly before running outside into the sunshine. Mother was already out and about, talking to a few townspeople. Happy piano music was being played somewhere, and I followed the sound to a platform in the courtyard where the song was being performed. When the pianist saw me, he welcomed me to the stage to try and sing something. I practically flew to the piano. I'd been having so much fun at the celebration that I could have burst out into song at any time during the entire week. I hung over the musician's shoulder, paying close attention to the notes as I sang with great passion. The song was about being free, and it was so perfect for how I felt that I wondered if that was the whole reason he had asked me to sing it.

As I sang the high melody (I was a soprano, by the way), I slowly became aware that somebody else had joined in, singing a haunting lower harmony. The voice was strong and rich, but the tune it sang was somewhat sad. It gave the piece sort of a bittersweet kind of feel, which only made it correspond more with how I was feeling. I didn't look up from my music to see who else was singing until the very last note, and to my surprise, it was Elsa standing there by the stage. I clapped my hands at our performance. "That was amazing! I don't think I've ever heard you sing before. Your voice is so beautiful," I praised.

"So is yours," she replied, smiling slightly at my compliment. "I know you practice a lot. You're always singing as you walk down the hallway. Loudly." We laughed together, and I skipped down from the stage to her side. She backed away just a little when I came close, though.

"We sound good together. We make a good team," I said. Elsa's smile fell suddenly, and even though she didn't move, I felt like she was distancing herself from me again. I tried to find something else to talk about so that I wouldn't lose her again. "You look nice," I offered. "Stunning, really." Elsa was wearing a long, teal dress with long black sleeves and a design on the bodice that matched the one on the gown that I wore. She also wore a lovely magenta cape that trailed out far behind her and clasped around her neck with gemstones. Her hair, which I thought was a pretty color anyway, was carefully, painstakingly braided back into the perfect bun that seemed to be her trademark, and her tiara was wound into the braids.

"Thank you. I like your dress, too. It's very...summer." I self-consciously looked down at my dress, which was really the same forest green one that I had worn at the very beginning of the week, the one with the loose sleeves that I was pretty sure she'd already complimented before. Elsa's eyes traveled to the top of my head. "But you're not wearing your crown. It is a special occasion."

I felt a little embarrassed. My head felt suddenly very bare just because she had brought it up. "You know me," I joked, "I'd probably lose it out here before five minutes had passed." We both chuckled, but in the silence that followed, I noticed Elsa trying very hard to stifle a small yawn. Though she had put on a touch of makeup, the dark circles were still visible around her eyes if I looked closely. I knew that bringing it up again would only worsen her mood, but my words always had a habit of coming out of my mouth before my brain had checked over them, so as soon as I saw her yawn, I commented, "You look tired. Are you okay? Are you not sleeping very well?" I knew for sure it wasn't because she had stayed up all night partying (which I was guilty of) because she usually disappeared into her room as soon as the sky got dark.

"It's nothing, Anna. Just a bad dream. That's all," she murmured so low I could hardly hear, and for a moment, I wondered if she was talking more to herself than to me. She didn't seem very awake. She just couldn't focus, and even now, I saw in her eyes that she wasn't fully there, that she was drifting off into her own mind. This wasn't like every time she closed up and avoided me. This seemed to be out of her control.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"No," she said bluntly. Her eyes focused again, and she gave me a look that screamed, _you should know better._

"Aw, c'mon," I insisted, trying to get her to open up just a little. "I get nightmares, too. A lot of times, I get one of those weird falling dreams, but I always wake up before I hit the ground, or sometimes, I get dreams where I'm frozen in place and can't move, and occasionally, I - and don't call me childish for this! - I still have nightmares where I think the bogeyman is hiding under my bed, but every time I try to tell someone, they either don't listen or they're taken right in front of me by what's under the bed, and..." I had gotten so caught up in my stories that I hadn't been paying attention to Elsa, and when I saw the expression on her face, I knew that I wasn't helping at all. I laughed nervously. "See, bad dreams are normal. You can talk about them."

It was useless. I had officially lost her again. Elsa nodded politely and walked away. When she was out of earshot, I scolded myself, "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" I then went to go find myself a good, solid wall to hit my head against in shame for the next five minutes.


	6. Chapter 6: Fear Or Be Feared

**Anna**

That night there was a grand ball for celebration and mourning. Celebration for the good times that were had and mourning that they had all too soon come to an end. After the party, our guests would finish packing their bags, leave in the morning, and the gates would slam shut behind them, and I would have to wait a whole year before any human interaction besides my mother because, let's face it, Elsa was going to shut herself away again. I spent the first half of the ball dancing as hard as I could, following my mother who had a natural talent for leading dances, never letting that thick, heavy braid of hers slow her down. Elsa stayed out of the dance circles and continued to look prim, proper, and even a little stuck up over by the thrones at the end of the ballroom. Every once in a while, I saw her look over at the king's throne.

I wondered if she missed our dad. I had never seen him. I was told that he had always been sickly and could never see his subjects and that he had died before I was born. I was also told that Elsa took more after him than I did. Mother always told me that she had gotten her lighter hair from him as opposed to her gold, and I got the red that came from her side of the family. I did, however, have a very light streak in my hair, and even though nobody told me, I always assumed that was just a little bit of him inside me. Maybe Elsa was sickly and got it from him, but why wouldn't she tell me something like that? Was she embarrassed by it? Or what if - and this depressed me greatly to think about - what if she was afraid to get close to me because she knew that she might die young and didn't want to face the heartache?

After several hours of group dances, a slow song came on. I usually tried to avoid these. This was the point where all the princes would fight over dancing with me and Elsa, and even though it felt quite flattering, the notion that it was all fake ruined the romance for me, so I carefully wound my way to the throne to stand by Elsa while mother danced with foreign dignitaries out of politeness, but I knew I saw her glance toward my father's throne every so often. I came up beside Elsa, who grew very rigid as I came near, again tilting her chin upward as if she knew she was better than everyone and did not need human interaction. Maybe she really was stuck up, or maybe she was just really shy? I really hated all of these guessing games, and if I ever wanted to know the reason behind all of her actions - or inactions - I would have to find out tonight before she holed herself up again. This was the latest I'd ever seen her out of her room, so I knew I had to speak fast before she disappeared again.

About a minute or so passed as I tried to work up the nerve, and that time was doubled as I got distracted by all of the happy, dancing couples twirling around the ballroom and sharing sweet kisses. It was all so romantic that I just couldn't stand it. I'd had all week, but nothing had happened. I sighed involuntarily in disappointment. "Still looking for the one?" Elsa asked so suddenly that I jumped. I still hadn't quite gotten used to her speaking to me. I laughed at my own jumpiness and how right she was.

"Yeah," I admitted, happy that she had remembered what I had said nearly a week ago.

"Odd, you've had princes all over you all week long, and not a single one?"

"Nope, but they've been following you, too, and you haven't even taken notice."

"Have they?" she joked. After a moment of laughter, she looked at me reassuringly. "I'm sure you'll find someone. Someday."

"You better hope so, or I'm going to be hanging around you and your husband in this castle for the rest of your lives with my dozen cats." I giggled, but my comment only caused her to frown.

"Oh, I'm not really planning on getting married, Anna," she confessed.

"Why?" I asked, shocked even though I should have expected something like this from the shut-in. "You're beautiful, smart, and I remember you were fun. We used to have so much fun when we were kids." I was slowly approaching the question I had been dying to ask for so long. "Elsa, w-"

"You're wearing your crown," she remarked quickly, interrupting me. Based on her scared expression, it seemed like she knew what I was going to ask.

"It's a special occasion, remember?" I touched the tiara on my head. Our crowns were quite a bit different from each other. While mine had a red gem in the center and swirled into small flowers on the side, hers curved up into sharp points and had an icy blue crystal hanging from the center point. It looked more like our father's crown, which mother told me that he never liked wearing. I wondered how well Elsa had known our father. She couldn't have been more than three when he had died, but I wondered if they had been really close. I wondered if that was why she was always sad and looking at the king's throne.

Before Elsa could try and shut me out or distract me again, I said quickly, "I've had so much fun this week with you."

Elsa smiled genuinely - which was something so rare that I thought I might die from shock - and replied, "Me too."

"And I just wish it could be this way all the time."

Elsa's smile fell in the blink of an eye and she turned away from me. "But it can't."

No, I wasn't about to lose her again! "But why, Elsa? We used to be so close when we were little. Why can't it be like that again?"

"It just can't. Please, Anna."

"But why? What happened? What did I ever do to you to make you shut me out? Why do shut everybody out?" It came to my attention that I was raising my voice and that people had started to stare, but I didn't care at all.

Elsa obviously did, and she nervously glanced around as she responded in a hushed voice, "Enough, Anna. You just wouldn't understand."

"Then help me to!" I could feel my face grow hotter with anger as she continued to dodge my questions while looking terrified. The music suddenly cut off as my shouting echoed off of the walls of the ballroom. Mother rushed up to stand between us.

"Girls, this is very inappropriate," she scolded. "This is the last time we're going to be celebrating like this for another year, and I will not have you two-" I pushed mother out of the way when I saw Elsa starting to walk stiffly towards the door behind her.

"Oh, no you don't!" I reached out for her, not caring how she felt about being touched. For once, I wasn't afraid of approaching her, and I couldn't see how I had been before. She heard me coming after her and turned to say something, but it was too late. My hand closed around hers. As if I had burned her with hot coals, she snatched her hand back and gasped, but in the process of doing so, her glove came off in my hand. She clutched her pale, delicate hand to her heart as I did the same to her glove.

"Give me the glove, Anna," she demanded, holding out the hand that was still covered expectantly. I only held it tighter.

"No! I won't let you leave and shut me out again!"

"Give me the glove," she repeated, a threat present in her tone, but I still didn't care. I wasn't afraid of her anymore. She was my sister, not some kind of monster, and I should have confronted her long before this.

"Not until you explain to me everything!" Elsa took a small step towards me, towards the glove, but I backed away as she moved. Elsa let her clothed hand fall to her side in a fist. She gritted her teeth angrily and began to walk back to the door. "Don't you dare walk away from me!" I called, chasing after her. "Tell me why, Elsa!" Mother started racing after me, trying to stop me, but I walked faster. I wouldn't let anything stop me now. "What are you afraid of!"

I'm not quite sure how it happened, or what button I had pushed, but the wild look in her eyes told me that I had gone too far. I had somehow crossed the line. Elsa whirled around. "I AM NOT AFRAID!" she shrieked. A cold wind came out of nowhere and knocked me off my feet as she screamed. I hit the floor hard, and my tiara skidded off of my head and to my mother's feet. I had to pause to catch my breath and when I looked up, I knew I had to be dreaming. A dagger of ice was only inches from my nose.

**Elsa**

No. Nononononono. I looked at the ice, then down at my bare hand, then back at the ice. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't! Oh no! Everyone was staring. They were backing away. They were afraid. They were afraid of me! I tried to look at Dad for some kind of help, but he had left his throne and flown over to Mother to keep her from falling. To keep her from getting hurt. I had almost hurt her!

"E-Elsa?" Anna stammered, staring at me with her mouth hanging open just like everyone else in the room. They knew! They all knew! I brought my hand back and tried to think of something to say. I had to say something, but before I could, the screaming broke out.

"Witchcraft! Sorcery!" they all cried. Most women and children started backing far away from me in fear while others approached me menacingly. Terrified, I reached for the door, ignoring how it frosted over at my touch, and rushed out of the ballroom. I needed a moment alone. I needed to calm down and get a hold on my emotions. Behind me, I heard several shouts.

"Get her! After her!" yelled the mob.

"No, please!" begged Mother.

"Elsa, wait!" Father called after me, and I felt him flying right behind me, but I was to ashamed and scared. I wasn't about to face him, so I closed my eyes and ran blindly down the castle halls that I knew so well, crying the whole way, and my tears trailed out behind me in delicate snowflakes. I finally reached the door that led into the courtyard, and I burst through the doors. I opened my eyes and blinked back tears furiously while trying to catch my breath.

"Look! It's Princess Elsa!" someone cheered, and others joined in. With everything that had just happed, I had actually completely forgotten that there were really other people on the castle grounds. I screamed and threw my arms up to cover my tearstained face. The cheers suddenly grew into more screams, and I hesitantly looked up to see that the whole courtyard had frozen over, all the way to the castle gates. People were slipping and sliding everywhere just to get far away from me like they very well should. I was not in control. Everyone was in danger.

"There she is!" I heard the mob behind me shout. Mother was at the front, trying to stop them and calm them down while Anna kept running towards me with Dad floating by her side, even though she couldn't see.

"Elsa, please wait!" they both pleaded.

"Get back! Get away from me!" I warned, putting up my hands again. I shot another involuntary blast at magic at Anna, but thankfully, it just barely missed, and she ended up slipping on the new patch of ice and falling down. That was too close. I started running again but caught my dress and slipped halfway across the courtyard. I crashed and skidded just before I reached the gates. Sore and bruised, I forced myself back up and turned to face the crowd again. They continued to back away from me.

"You see," Pitch hissed, forming from the shadows behind me all of a sudden, causing me to start. "They'll never accept you. You're so much more than they'll ever be."

I looked around them and saw all of their scared faces. People that never knew me retreated from me, and my own family wasn't about to go near me. My eyes settled on my dad's face. His eyes darted between me and Pitch, terrified. "Elsa, don't listen to him. Please, come back. We can sort this out," he begged.

"Do you really want to go back, Elsa? They all fear you. They all hate you, and if you go back, they'll continue to hate you because they don't understand. They'll never understand that you're greater than them," he countered. I closed my eyes and listened to each word, weighing them in my mind. As awful as Pitch was, he made sense. "You need to use their fear to make them respect you, Elsa. You can have everything you want, or do you want to go back to being afraid of them? Elsa, you're better than all of them."

He was right. He was so right, and as he spoke, my fear turned to fury. Fury towards everyone who was afraid of my gift and towards the one person who made me believe that it was a curse. I ripped off my remaining glove and threw it into the center of the courtyard. Everyone jumped.

"That's right. Be afraid!" I snarled. "You people should be. You cheer me on and love me until you find something that you think is wrong. Well, there's nothing wrong with me! But tell me, do you love me, now? Where are the cheers, the roses, the adoration? Am I not still a princess, or does my title disappear just because I don't fit your vision of perfection? Huh? Tell me!" The crowd was deathly silent. Even Dad was left speechless, a rare event.

"You should be afraid," I continued. "Because if this is the only way that I don't have to be afraid of you, then so be it. I am better than all of you, and you are too simpleminded to see it. I am no longer your princess. I am your queen. I am the snow queen!" I thrust my hands toward the sky, and at my command, dark clouds came together, and a blizzard whipped up in an instant. "From now on, you are ruled by fear."

"Elsa, stop this!" I heard Father shout over the howling winds, but I didn't listen, and the snow quickly blocked him from view. Pitch laid a hand on my shoulder, and we walked away out the gates and over the frozen fjord together towards the North mountain looming above us. Dad stopped following us at some point, but I didn't care. I was no longer afraid of my powers like he had taught me to be. Pitch had taught me to embrace them, and I was happier than I ever had been. For the first time in forever, I was finally free.


	7. Chapter 7: Wait, What?

**Anna**

The snow was blinding, the wind howled too loud for me to hear anything else, and I couldn't stop slipping on the ice. I felt all alone, even though I knew there had to be people still around me, hidden by the whiteness. "Elsa!" I cried out, not knowing what else to do. "Elsa!" I slipped and fell for the millionth time, and since I was getting nowhere like this, I simply sat and stayed, hugging myself to try and keep warm. My guessing game was finally over, but I was more confused now than I was before. Where did she get her powers? How long had she had them? Why did she need to keep it a secret from me? I was drawing a blank on those and many other questions that swirled around in my brain like the billions of flurries around me.

Suddenly, I started moving, sliding on the ice. My rational brain told me that it had to be the strong wind picking up, but for a moment, I could have sworn that I had felt a hand on my back. Soon, a light appeared close by, and I heard a voice, Mother's voice. She was singing as loud as she could over the storm. I started scrambling forward on my hands and knees to reach her and the warm halls of the palace, but I hadn't gone far before I hit the front stairs, and realized that the light was much closer than I had anticipated. In fact, it almost seemed to be coming from Mother.

And it was! I realized this as I crawled up to her. As she sang - I don't think I've ever really heard her sing before - each strand of hair in her long braid pulsed with a surreal golden light, and it was warm. A part of me was in awe and wonder and wanted to touch the light, but the other part was too freaked out to move. That couldn't be Mother. This was just too unreal. Then again, I had just watched my own sister shoot ice from her fingertips.

What the heck was going on?!

Mother, seeing me standing out in the snow with my mouth hanging open, gestured for me to come inside the castle, bringing me out of my stupor enough for me to move. As I came through the massive double doors, I stuck close to the wall, careful not to come near her or touch her, afraid of what the strange light coming from her was and what it would do. Briefly, she stopped singing and turned around to face me, and her hair slowly returned to normal. I half-hoped for an explanation, but I was also terrified of what it might be. She told me nothing but, "Honey, I know everything's crazy right now, but I need you to help. Guide everyone you see to the ballroom and instruct the servants to light every lantern and fire in the palace. I'm going to stay here and help guide people to the castle. No one can be left out in this storm."

I was still very dazed and found that I could only stand there, gaping, and point at her hair. She placed her hands on my shoulders and looked me straight in the eye. "I know this is all very confusing, but I'll explain later."

Finally, I found voice. "Later? How about now? You...Elsa...just what is going on?"

Sternly, she replied, "Anna, I know you're scared, but so are a lot of other people. Lives are on the line here. Everything will be explained. I promise." I nodded, knowing that Mother never, ever broke her promises. Mother smiled and kissed my forehead. I noticed how warm her lips felt, even though she was standing in open door while a storm raged on. She let me go, turned around, and began to sing again. "Flower, gleam and glow..."

I began to walk away to do what she had told me, but I glanced over my shoulder every so often at her. The song she was singing was eerily familiar, as if I had heard if in a dream before...

I guided scared, confused people to the brightly lit ballroom, where every fireplace blazed with warmth. Many of them turned to me, asking what was going on, and I sadly had to admit to them that I had no earthly idea. One guest turned to me - I believe his title was the Duke of Weselton - and asked in the most accusing tone possible, "There's no magic in you, too, is there?" His face wrinkled in disgust and the same men who had chased my sister turned to glare, waiting for my answer.

"No!" I denied quickly. "Of course not! I didn't even know!" The Duke narrowed his eyes skeptically and left me alone for the rest of the night. His comment did get under my skin, though. Mother had powers, Elsa had powers, could I possibly have them? I did have that one light streak in my hair that was even lighter than Elsa's. Could my power just not have manifested itself before? (Also, why did power have anything to do with what color hair my family had? I mean, that was just really weird. I wasn't going to burst into flames, was I?)

Then, as I helped guide more people, I somehow began thinking about my Father. I eyed his throne and wondered if he'd had powers, too. I was often told that Elsa took after him. Did he have ice magic? Was that why he also never saw anyone? Was that what killed him?

When I was fairly sure that everyone had been herded into the ballroom, I paused to rest on my throne, pressing my fingers into my temple. My head hurt. This was all too much! All of my thinking wasn't getting me anywhere, it felt like Mother was taking forever, and time after time, I had to turn people away with questions that I didn't have the answer to.

Finally, Mother came striding into the ballroom, with a few freezing stragglers waddling in behind her and rushing to gather around the fire with everyone else. People rose as she walked by, many of them throwing questions and accusations her way. She kept her face forward and her expression calm, something that I figured must come with years of practice as Queen. She took her place beside me at her throne, and before I could even stand or open my mouth, she had anticipated what I would say and told me, "Not now." Then, her gaze fell over the crowd, which immediately became silent.

"I know that this is all very confusing." The Duke stepped up to say something rudely, but one glare from Mother, and he humbly stepped back with his guards. "I can't explain everything, but I am working on a plan now to bring her back."

"Why do we want her back?" a voice said from somewhere in the room. "She caused all of this."

"I'll bring her back, and we will stop this Winter. I promise." The crowd hushed, knowing the weight that a promise from their queen carried. "For now, I ask that you stay here, where it will be safe and warm for as long as possible. The servants will provide you with rooms to stay in and hot meals, though things will be tightly packed. Until you are escorted elsewhere, please stay in the ballroom. Thank you. One more thing, are any of you hurt or injured?" A few hands rose, and I could see people with bruises and cuts from slipping on the ice. Mother turned to me. "Anna, pull here." She gestured to a spot on her braid.

I followed a few instructions that she gave me on her hair, and after undoing a few well-placed knots, her thick braid fell and started to unwind into a huge pile of wavy hair. She shook her head to get every twist out, and a small smile spread across her face. "I haven't worn it down in years," she murmured. Then, she began to walk down the center of the room until she reached the end, her unbelievably long hair trailing behind her the entire way, and when she stopped, there was still a good sized pile at my feet. Who could have imagined that this much was contained in that braid she always wore. There had to be somewhere around one hundred feet of hair! "Now, if you are hurt, please come forward and lay your hands down."

Hesitantly, the crowd shifted to allow people through, and they did. "Anna, you too," Mother insisted, noticing my own bruises. Slowly, I knelt down and wrapped my banged up arms in locks of her golden hair. Then, Mother began to sing again with the same haunting song as before. The light started from her scalp and made its way down her long waves of hair. The injured lined along it stared in awe and smiled happily as the light touched them. Lastly, it reached me, and a pleasing warmth spread through my entire body. It reminded me of warm Summer days spent dancing in the flowers and the sunshine. All too soon, the feeling ended as Mother finished her song, and the last pulse of light reached me. Carefully, along with many others in the room, I pulled my hands back to see that every bruise was completely gone. In fact, I felt better than ever.

"Nobody freak out!" Mother said quickly, as many cries of shock echoed in the room. She looked straight at me and mouthed, "Now." I gathered up her hair and trailed behind her as she exited the room. Neither of us said anything until we reached the cozy den and shut the door. I dropped all of the hair at once.

"What the heck is going on?" I yelled. Mother calmly walked over to the couch and patted beside her.

"Sit for a minute and calm down," she ordered, and I did, ranting the entire way.

"Calm down? Calm down! Elsa just went insane and caused a blizzard in the middle of summer, and you have magic glowing hair that did something to my hand! You expect me to be calm about that?"

Mother wasn't listening at all. She had turned her head to the side and appeared to be talking to herself. "Yes, I know that she's freaking out...Yes, she probably will...I can't...It doesn't really matter anymore, though...Just stay put for now..."

Dumbstruck, I mumbled, "That's it. You're crazy, too. My entire family has gone crazy. I'm certainly not sane anymore. Yup, I have to be hallucinating."

Mother finally looked at me, somehow looking saner and more serious than ever. "Anna, there's quite a lot to explain, and not a lot of it is going to be easy to understand, but Honey, I need you to keep an open mind. Promise me?" I nodded. "I guess I should start with myself. Do you have any questions to ask about me first?"

"Uh, what is up with your magic hair, how long has it done that, and why have you never told me?" I said instantly, thinking that these questions should have been obvious.

"Okay, well, to start: I have magic, healing hair that glows when I sing. Good. We're getting that out of the way. It's done that for pretty much forever, and I'll get to why I haven't told you in a second. That actually comes at the end of this story. You see, when I was younger, you know that I was kidnapped once, but you didn't know that it was because of my powers; you thought before it was just because of my status. I was locked in a tower for 18 years to keep me "safe," but your father came and found me and saved me from the witch that had tricked me into thinking she was my mother. This brings me to my next point: your father is alive."

"Wait, WHAT?" I stood straight up. The magic hair was hard enough to believe, even though I had just seen it with my own eyes. I definitely would need to hear more on that story later, but this sudden realization consumed my every thought. The father that I had never had...was alive? "How? You said-"

"I know what I said, but I said everything for a reason, but you have to give me a chance to explain!" She stood up with me and took my hands in hers. I immediately ripped mine away and started pacing around the small room.

"How on earth can you explain this? I mean, he's my dad for goodness sake! You can't just say he's dead, and now he's not, and...and-"

"Your father is Jack Frost," she said bluntly. I shut up, stunned. Yup, totally lost her mind.

"This is crazy. You're crazy." I turned to walk out of the room, but she ran up to me and placed a hand on my shoulder to stop me.

"No, I'm being serious. You just can't see him anymore, but he's here in this room, and it breaks his heart that you don't even know he's there. He's been with you the entire time, and he's where Elsa's powers come from."

"Mother, he's a character from a fairy tale."

"And you love fairy tales! Anna, this is the worst time in your life for you to start thinking rationally. Logic just doesn't work with these things. My hair glows because of some magic sunshine flower thing, your father is Jack Frost, and your sister just caused an ice storm in summer because of the bogeyman."

"Oh, and now the bogeyman is in this, too? Mother..."

"Please, just try to see him, and you'll understand."

"How come I've never been able to see him before?"

"Because you haven't believed. All you have to do is believe in him, and you'll see him standing there as clear as day." She gestured to an empty space by the fireplace. "He's right there."

I stared and stared and stared, thinking only of how crazy this whole thing was and wondering why I was staring at a wall. There was nothing there. "Mom..." I groaned.

"You're not believing. Just think about your sister's powers. You saw them with your own eyes. Imagine that. Remember every cold wind you've felt on your back and the frost patterns that appear on your windows in the morning. Remember those nightmares you told me about. Have those images in your mind, think about what I've told you, and then look again," she instructed.

I did what she said. I closed my eyes and thought. Elsa's powers were real. Real enough to cause the storm outside that screamed against the castle walls. If our father was who she said he was, it would actually make a little bit of sense. Finally, I opened my eyes, looked at the wall, and screamed so loudly that I could hear it echoing down the hallways outside. "You see him!" Mother cheered, sounding too happy about this. A man with white hair, deathly pale skin, and bright blue eyes suddenly stood where before there had been nothing. I backed away into a table, knocking off a probably very expensive vase. Mother ran over beside the young man.

"Don't freak out!" they both exclaimed in unison.

It was a little too late for that. Tripping over my mom's hair, I scrambled over to the door and burst out, running through the hallways for someplace private, which was very hard to do when an entire kingdom was huddled under one roof. I needed some space to think, to be alone and process the information. Some people were starting to settle into the room across from my own, and I didn't want to be heard at all, so I kept running to the very end of the hallway to Elsa's room. People were making a conscious effort to stay far away from there, so I ran in, slammed the door behind me, and stood shivering and crying in the only room without a fire to warm it.


	8. Chapter 8: Letting Go

**Jack**

"I think she took that...rather well, actually..." Rapunzel commented, breaking the long bout of silence between us after Anna's departure. I sighed, shook my head, and leaned against my staff, feeling drained after the night's events. Rapunzel squeezed my shoulder comfortingly. "Anyone would have reacted the same way. She just needs some time to think, like Elsa usually does."

"But what if she thinks she doesn't like any of this?" I muttered, expressing the doubts that had hid in my mind for several years. I had lied to Anna all this time, and I could understand how betrayed she must feel.

"You're awfully melancholy for the Guardian of fun." She pressed her warm hand against my cheek and turned my head towards her.

Seeing her smile, I responded, "And you're awfully cheerful considering everything that's just happened." She frowned suddenly and gave me a stern look.

"I'm just trying to think positively. You should, too."

I don't know what happened right after that. I simply exploded, every horrible emotion I had just felt in the past hours, in the past thirteen years, pouring out of my mouth with me powerless to stop them. "Positive? How on earth can you see anything positive in our situation? This family is falling apart! Anna can see me finally, but she won't even look at me, and Elsa..." I could feel my voice break with emotion. "Elsa has been taken by Pitch! Both of my daughters are being ripped away, and I don't know what to do! Now, what is positive about that?" I slammed my staff against the ground, and in a burst of feeling and magic that coursed through it, the floor was suddenly coated in frost, and the fire was blown out.

"Everything is falling apart," I groaned at my momentary lapse in control. I drifted over to the couch, cleaning up my own mess as I went, and slumped over, my hands covering my face in grief. I wanted to cry, but at the same time, I was too angry to. Too angry at Pitch for going near my family, angry at the Moon because he had made me this way, with great power but unable to be seen, and angry at myself for not stopping all of this.

Rapunzel had stepped away at my outburst, and even though I knew that I must have hurt her feelings somewhat, she let me sit for a moment, ranting and moping, letting it all out of my system, while she hurried over and rekindled the fire with fresh wood. I look up from my hands at its warm glow. Rapunzel came and sat next to me and wrapped her arms around me, letting out a small sob. She was just as scared and frustrated as I was, and I had yelled at her for coping with it. I finally felt tears run down my cheek as I returned her embrace, and we cried together for a minute or two, for once not keeping any emotions in, and we felt so much better once they were all out in the open. No more secrets. We dried our eyes and looked at each other, both of us finally able to think rationally.

"So that...that thing with Elsa...that really was Pitch? I thought it was, but I had never seen him before...scary..." Rapunzel asked.

I nodded. "Yes, and he's got her. I have to go out and find her, but where could they have gone?" As if in reply, a tremor shook the castle. I could hear people all around the castle waking up (it was well past midnight) and screaming. I flew out of the den to the nearest window, Rapunzel right behind me. The snow had lightened, though I couldn't say when that had happened with how high-strung my life was at the moment. Even in the darkness, I could see straight through the snowstorm to the North Mountain. The storm appeared to be intensifying over there, and as I stared - I almost couldn't believe this - pillars of ice shot out of the side of the mountain, one after the other. Walls formed between them, and before I knew it, a palace made entirely of ice had been erected from out of nowhere. I knew at once that it had to be Elsa.

"Whoa," Rapunzel gaped beside me. "I didn't know she-"

"Neither did I," I said, equally in awe.

"I mean, I knew her power had grown, but wow..." Rapunzel continued to stare while I puzzled at this new revelation, her green eyes wide with childlike wonder. Neither of us could believe how strong Elsa's gift really was. We watched the dazzling structure until the wind suddenly grew stronger, rattling the windows and doors of the palace, and it became too dark to see outside. We backed away and turned to look at each other again. "How did they get up there so fast?" Rapunzel questioned. "The North Mountain is at least a day's journey even in good weather, and she never could fly like you."

"I think Pitch had something to do with it. He's good at disappearing," I replied. "I have to go up there." I started walking back down the hallway towards the main hall.

"When do you leave?" Rapunzel kept pace with me even with her long hair dragging behind. As stressed out as I was, I couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked with it down. She hadn't allowed herself to wear it like this for thirteen long years.

"As soon as possible. Now."

"Oh." She stopped and looked up the grand staircase that we had heard Anna run up.

"I will talk to her when I get back, but lives are on the line. You said so yourself, and Elsa could be in serious danger. Believe me, you haven't even begun to see what Pitch is capable of." Rapunzel nodded in understanding.

"Will you be alright? Promise me you're not going to get hurt."

"Hey, don't worry!" I offered her a small smile, trying to lighten her heavy heart. "Pitch is no match for this." I held up my staff, but I knew my words weren't making a difference because there was still plenty of pain left in my own heart.

"No, _promise _me, Jack. Promise me that you're going to come back alright and that you'll fix up everything with Anna as soon as you do."

I floated over, kissed her on the lips, and whispered, "I promise." We gave each other half-hearted smiles and stood for a minute, neither of us wanting to say goodbye.

"Elsa's a smart girl, so is Anna. Elsa will come home once she's cleared her mind, and Anna just needs a minute to do the same. You'll see. Just think positively. You were always so good at that, Jack," Rapunzel said as her parting words.

**Elsa**

I felt amazing! For once, I was letting my powers loose. Everything I created, everything Pitch created with me, was beautiful, dark and delicate. Everywhere I stepped, and icy floor spread out from under my toes. I raised my arms, and towers of ice rose far above my head. I could feel the power coursing through me and being released from my body after being pent up for so long, and it felt so wonderful to let it all go. I no longer had a care of what anyone thought of me. It didn't matter. I was just me. I was the Snow Queen, the one and only. (I remembered choosing that title for myself at a very young age. It had a nice ring to it.)

Pitch was beside me the entire way, his own black sand entwining with my sporadic bursts of ice and snow, creating intricate patterns in the walls of my very own palace. When it was done, he joined me on the balcony overlooking the kingdom, laughing merrily in an almost frightening manner. "Oh, isn't this wonderful! What fun!" he sneered.

"Beautiful," I conceded, looking down upon the frozen town, now and forever isolated from the world like I once was. They all deserved this. They were too close-minded to even give me a chance. If they wanted to fear me, fine. I would rule over them. It was my rightful place. Pitch laid a possessive hand on my shoulder and looked down on me, almost like a father. I didn't really care. In the past hours, it felt like he had been almost like a father to me. He had certainly taught me more about myself than Dad ever did. Before I knew it, thoughts poured out of my mouth, as uncontainable as my powers, and just like them, I let them all flow freely.

"I've never been let out of the castle before, never been allowed to see what else was outside, and now that I'm out, it seems like the whole world is small enough to fit into the palm of my hand, and I wonder how I ever could have let myself be held back. Fear, just like you said, and I'm not afraid anymore. Dad always made me think that my powers were a curse, but you showed me that I'm really just too great for anyone, even him, to comprehend."

"Especially him," he added.

"Well, forget him. If all of these people are going to hate me, I'll hate them all back, and there's nothing he can do about it. I hate him, too." I laughed at the thrill of being rebellious and free for once, and my laugh rang out and bounced back to me from the other mountaintops, joined by his. "Thank you, Pitch." I almost wanted to hug him, but I restrained myself, feeling that he probably wasn't one to be touched either. Instead, I shot my hands up to the sky, and used that glorious feeling to create an even bigger storm, the wind howled and whipped my cape around, and as Pitch assisted me, darker clouds spread out over the kingdom. We both laughed joyously.

**Jack**

It took me much longer than I had anticipated to reach the North Mountain. For the first time in my life - could I really call it life? I had died before I became this way - the wind did not assist me in my flight. In fact, it raged against me, almost refusing to do my bidding. At several points on my journey, I had to drop down and hike up the mountain on foot, and I was cold. I couldn't remember the last time I had felt cold. I couldn't help but fear for anyone else out in this storm if I, the spirit of winter and fun, was cold. I reached what seemed to be the eye of the storm around dawn. The snow abruptly let up at a certain point, and I could actually see the sun trying to peek through the clouds.

I thought of Rapunzel back at the castle and hoped that everything was alright with her. That mean, old, anti-magic Duke of Weasel-town was probably still giving her a hard time. It was from people like him that we mostly tried to shield Elsa from, and especially after witnessing Rapunzel's magic for himself (he had come to the celebration having already heard rumors of her so-called "witchcraft") he wasn't going to be an easy man to deal with. I would have Elsa remind me to punch him in the face as soon as we got back before he knew what hit him and then cut off all trade with Weasel-town. That would show him, and it would be fun.

Yes, Rapunzel's confidence and faith had already renewed my spirit, and I hopped and skipped over massive spikes of ice that could easily impale a person (and that seemed to be their intent) and floated past oversized snowflakes that caused bright and beautiful rainbows on the ground as the sun shone through them. I grew a little bit happier the closer I got, knowing that I was coming closer to my beloved daughter every second. Finally, I approached the magnificent palace, gleaming in the early morning sun. I could have quickly flown up there in search of Elsa, but I took the carefully crafted stairs in order to admire them closer. Everything was beautiful, but there was something ominous about it all. I reached an intricately carved set of doors that were shielded from the sun only by the sheer size of the castle, but as I looked closer, I saw that the patterns were not carved into the ice but frozen in it. Each swirl and design was nightmare sand trapped within the walls. I could feel the darkness emanating from the entire structure and knew that I needed to get Elsa out as soon as possible.

I knocked on the door, which seemed kind of silly, especially since they didn't open. Carefully, I pushed one open and found that they weren't locked. I was about to call out to my daughter when I glimpsed the awesomeness of the inside. The ceiling of the great hall went far above my head, and hung from it was a huge, ornate chandelier. I spun around and around, smiling and taking it all in, but a smooth, dark voice interrupted me, a voice I knew too well.

"I bet you never knew that she was capable of all of this," said Pitch Black. I spun around to face him, my staff ready, but where his voice had come from, there was nothing. I grimly noticed that the room was round, which helped with one of his favorite tactics. He just loved monologuing, especially while circling his opponent, trying to break them by talking, and more often than not, it worked. He had that special way of getting under your skin. "I bet it just kills you that you never knew."

I turned back around, but again, nothing. Pitch laughed, and the horrible sound echoed all around me. "Where is she? What have you done to her?" I yelled. The tendrils of sand inside the walls appeared to grow, blocking out the sunlight and crushing the rainbows.

"No matter how hard you tried, you could never help her. You could never give her what she needs. It kills you, doesn't it? It kills you that I could train her so much better than you could. You asked what I did to her? Nothing unusual. It's all about fear. She feared not being accepted, so she went out and found her own place. She's not a child, Jack. This is what adults do. Grow up."

"Shut up! You're hurting innocent people!"

"So were you, tearing apart your stupid little family like that."

"SHUT UP!" I shot a blast of magic at the source of his voice, but missed and shattered a portion of the wall.

"Looks like I struck a nerve there," Pitch chuckled.

"Don't you say anything about my family! You stay away from them! You stay away from Elsa!"

"You're family is stupid and wrong!" he hissed. "You know that it's impossible for you to stay with them. You'll outlive them by centuries. Sooner or later, they'll be nothing but a memory, and you know it, but you're too much of an idiot to realize it!"

"And why do you care?"

"I'm simply trying to bring you back to cold, hard reality, Jack. Nothing more." If I thought back, I could remember something Pitch had said a long time ago to me, and I wondered if it had anything to do with what was going on.

_"I know what it's like to not be believed in! To long for...for a family."_

I knew nothing about Pitch's past other than that, and none of the other Guardians were any help, but I didn't really care anymore. I just wanted Pitch gone, out of my life for good. Pitch appeared in front of my, smiling cruelly. Whatever reason he had for this, I didn't care. It was wrong. He was the only thing wrong here. I shot at him first, but he dodged and aimed a blast of his sand at my back. I was able to turn fast enough to block it with my staff. We sparred for a while like that, and little by little, I was winning. Pitch was not strong enough to beat me. One well aimed burst of magic, and he fell to the ground, the tendrils of sand in the ice retreating and allowing the light to flood in. I strode over to him and grabbed him by the collar of his long black robes, forcing him to look me straight in the eye. I held my staff against his throat. I was through with games.

"Now, give me Elsa," I ordered. I saw actual fear in Pitch's yellow eyes. That was his center. He was nothing but an evil, manipulative coward.

"Dad?" I heard her voice say all of a sudden. I dropped Pitch and turned to her excitedly, but the look on her face was nothing I could ever forget. Her eyes narrowed menacingly at me, and her lips pressed in a stern, thin line the way Rapunzel's did when she was serious. She strode towards me confidently, nothing like the Elsa of before. Though I was taller, she seemed to be looking down on me when she came right up to me. "Leave," was all she said, but it was like a dagger to the heart. Pitch stood up, smiling, and sauntered over to her side.

"But Elsa-"

"She doesn't want to go, Jack," Pitch interrupted, his voice suddenly very strong. I realized that this was my worst nightmare, and he was loving every minute of it.

I tried on last time. "Please..."

Elsa wasn't hearing any of what I had to say. "No. I'm not going back. I'm not that perfect girl you want me to be, Dad, and if you can't deal with that, then I never want to see you again." I staggered back with every word she said. "If the world can't accept who I am, they can fear me. I don't care. I rule over all of them. I'm of age remember? You wanted them to get to know me, to see the real me? Well, here I am! This is me, and it's their fault if they don't care about me!" A miniature blizzard whirled around her suddenly, tearing off her cape and revealing a lovelier gown underneath, made completely of snowflakes. Elsa reached for her crown and tore it from where it had been neatly braided on top of her head, ripping loose strands that stuck up at odd angles like my own and causing her tight bun to fall down into a thick braid.

She kept striding towards me as I fell back, pain and fear coursing through every part of me. "I'm old enough to be queen, so I am taking my rightful place. I am the Snow Queen, and I have outgrown you. I don't need you. I don't want you." With that, she threw her crown at my feet, and weak and in anguish, I fell to my knees at it. "Goodbye."

I may be able to withstand Pitch's and Elsa's magic separately, but together, it was nothing like I had ever felt before. (It definitely crossed my mind briefly that Pitch may have had a point about that whole dark and cold thing.) I couldn't hold them both off, and soon, I was sent flying out the doors, landing on a hard patch of ice, clutching her sharp crown to my heart. I couldn't feel its points stabbing me for the pain I already felt, too intense for me to even move, another sort of panic attack, I figured later. For hours, all I could do was curl up in the cold, crying out in agony.


	9. Chapter 9: A Little LoveA Little Fun

**Rapunzel**

I was running this way and that between rooms. Our sparse staff was overworked, and I knew it was my duty to help out my kingdom in a crisis like this. The snow had finally let up, and I could catch glimpses of sunlight every once in a while. Outside was what one would call a "winter wonderland." Every house seemed to be buried beneath the many inches of snow that had gathered through the night. Under the sun, the whiteness of it all was blinding, except for the occasional rainbow I saw shimmering outside.

Though the clouds were clearing out, it only seemed to be getting colder. I was constantly adding wood to fires, carrying extra blankets to those who needed them, and serving hot meals in the dining room to long lines of my subjects. I had to be very careful as I worked, though. Many careless children or - ahem - Dukes tended to trod all over my long hair. Every time I caught that annoying Duke of Weasel-town, he would bow, apologize insincerely, and wander off to wherever again, muttering something about witchcraft. Now, I'm not normally a spiteful person, but I would like nothing more than for the fjord to mysteriously thaw and to send him on his merry little way...and then watch it get frozen again where he could complain far, far away from me.

No matter how hard I worked, though, I couldn't get my mind off of Jack and Anna. I had gone up to try and talk to Anna a few times, but I never found her in her room. On my last try in between duties, I heard her moving around inside Elsa's room. Though I knew Anna loved company and preferred to be comforted, Elsa's room felt foreboding, even without her in it. I stopped myself from knocking on the door and walked away, figuring that if she was there, she probably wanted to be alone to think, just like her sister. It was a lot to think about, after all.

Then, there was the fact that Jack still hadn't returned. He had left long before the sun had risen, and it was already past noon. I really hoped he was alright. He had told me before about how bad Pitch Black was and had told me that he could handle him if he ever came around, but - and I hated admitting this because I loved him so - I worried if he was telling the whole truth. What if he couldn't handle Pitch this time? What if we never got Elsa back? What if Jack didn't even come back? I had become so caught up in my own thoughts that I noticed I had stopped and leaned against the wall for support. I took a deep, calming breath and forced myself to move forward. "Everything's fine. Just think positive."

Maybe I was overthinking everything. Maybe he was just taking too long because he was patching things up with Elsa, or handing Pitch over to whoever the authorities were when dealing with legendary figures, or maybe just helping Elsa clean up the winter. "Yeah, that's it," I concluded out loud. "That's why the snow's let up. That's - oh!"

There was a sharp yank on my hair again, and I turned to find - who else? - the Duke of Weasel-town. I had been polite about it the entire time, but being ostracized by your kingdom because of this man, having my daughter kidnapped, my husband missing, and no sleep all night can really push your buttons. "That's it! Somebody hand me my frying pan!" I shouted indignantly, stomping over to him, yet knowing that I could never really accomplish menacing no matter how hard I tried. (Having long, blonde hair will do that to you."

"My humblest apologies, your highness," he grumbled.

"Yeah, right! What do you have against my magic? I heal people! Is that so bad? Did you ever think that it's not some kind of curse for one minute?"

"Your majesty, wouldn't you call what is going on outside a curse?" he retorted.

Sick and tired of him, I held up a lock of hair. "I will use this," I warned, knowing that besides being a lasso, my hair wasn't really a weapon, but he didn't know that. Quickly, he walked away, possibly to go turn more of my people against me. He had been planning some kind of uprising in the past few hours, clearly not happy with me or how I was handling things. I knew he was planning a group to go out and find Elsa themselves, but so far, not too many people had volunteered, so I tried to ignore it for the moment and hoped that it would go away once this whole thing died down.

I dropped my hair, leaned against a wall, and sighed, my eyes starting to drift shut. I was completely exhausted. I began to slide down the wall until ending in a slump on the floor. No one would mind if I napped for just a second. My limbs feeling too heavy to move, I simply curled up right there on the floor, wrapping my hair around me for a blanket.

I couldn't have slept for more than a minute or two when the huge double doors burst open, and a cold wind washed over me. I shot up at the sound, hugged myself to keep warm, and ran to the main hall, hoping more than anything that it was Jack flying through those doors with Elsa trailing behind, smiling, but all I saw was an empty shell of what used to be my husband. I could only stand there numbly, watching him trudge his way over to me. He looked the same on the outside, but I knew the inside was all hollow. He was too empty to smile or cry or speak or even look up at me. I didn't know what to say, so I hugged him tightly, praying that something would happen, but his body remind stiff, cold, and unresponsive to mine. In fact, the hug actually hurt.

I pulled away and looked at what he held in his hands: Elsa's sharp crown. I gasped, took it in my hands, and felt the tears begin to run down my cheeks. "No...are you...are you alright?" No response. "Are you okay? Jack, say something."

"She didn't want to come back..." he started to mumble.

"I...I understand that, but are you going to be okay? Jack...Jack look at me." I tried to cup his face and my hand to turn it to me, but I couldn't move him. It was like pushing on a statue.

"She refused...and Pitch...she was working with Pitch...she attacked me...Elsa...my own daughter...she...she attacked...and I...I couldn't..." Jack continued to ramble, continuing to worry me.

"Jack, you promised me that you wouldn't come back hurt, remember? Please, I understand. We'll fix this we will, but I need you." He did nothing but continue to go on and on about the same thing, completely dumbstruck and in shock. He was having some sort of breakdown, and I was terrified. "Jack? Jack, please! Jack Frost! Jack Frost, you look at me right now and answer me! Are you alright?"

"Will you stop asking that!" he snapped finally. I felt the frost spread under my toes as he spoke. "I'm not bruised or bloody! I'm fine, see? Stop asking me that! There are things a little bit more important that that right now!" He started to float away, but I caught his shoulder and held him back. "Rapunzel, I'm-"

"No," I sobbed. "No you're not. You're shutting me out, Jack. I can't take it anymore. Elsa shut me out, Anna has been hiding all night, my kingdom is being turned against me. Don't shut me out. You're all I have left, Jack." I let my hand fall, and I collapsed to the floor, overcome with exhaustion and emotion. "Please, don't shut me out." My voice was barely above a whisper, but I knew he heard it because immediately he flew to me and hugged me, trying to comfort me, and we cried together again, out in the openness of the great hall, both of us broken. We were a broken family, and we knew it. It had been that way for so long, but neither of us had tried to mend the bond until now, and I think we were both wondering if it was too late.

"I'm sorry," he cried. "I'm sorry for scaring you like that. I broke my promise."

I dried my eyes and dared to hope again. "No, not yet. You still haven't gone to see Anna. Try to fix things with her. Please?"

"I will," he said, new determination in his voice. Maybe he wasn't as broken as I thought he was. He just needed love, something that he had been starved of for so long. I smiled, glad that I had been the one to find him. Jack kissed me and flew off to find Anna.

"She's in Elsa's room!" I called after him, standing up and drying my tears. Maybe our family was broken, but it was still good. It was just a little bit of a fixer-upper, needing a little bit of love to mend all of the broken bonds. I hoped it would all start with Anna and Jack. I hoped that in her good heart she might find a way to forgive us.

**Jack**

I stood frozen by Elsa's door for the longest time, not quite knowing what to do or say. What if she totally rejected me? What if she had come to the conclusion that seeing me last night was only a figment of her imagination and she stopped believing in me again? Should I knock, or should I just go ahead and open the door? Was dealing with children always this complicated, or was this just my horrible life being, well, horrible again. The one spot of happiness I had found was being crushed before my very eyes.

After a long bout of nervous pacing, I finally opened the door, and knocked my staff on it at the same time. "Um, Anna?" I called, half-afraid that she wouldn't even hear me.

"Hey...Dad..." she said from the other side of the room. The word "dad" sounded awkward on her lips, as if she wasn't quite used to saying it just yet. I feared that it might take a while, but a few of my fears were put to rest. She still believed in me. I was real to her. I drifted over to where she sat on Elsa's bed, wrapped tightly in the blankets. She hadn't changed from her summer dress save for taking out the ribbon and tiara in her hair and allowing it to cascade down her back. She didn't quite look at me as I took a seat next to her.

"Is..is there anything you want to talk about? Anything you want to ask me?"

"A lot, actually," she admitted.

"Is it about the ice powers? Because I'm not quite sure how I got mine, other than some baby teeth memories and vague comments from the moon."

"Wait, what?"

"I'll have to explain that later. There's a whole lot that I need to tell you, now."

"Why?" she asked forcefully.

"What?"

"Why now? Why haven't I been told any of this before? That's what I don't understand about this whole thing. I don't care where the powers came from. Well, I do, but not more than I care about being shut out. Why wouldn't you or Mom or Elsa tell me anything?"

"The first thing you need to know is that it was all for your safety," I began.

"My safety?" she parroted incredulously, standing up and beginning to pace the floor angrily. Her emotions were just as high-strung as everyone else's, and I had just pushed her over the edge, too. Oh, would the outbursts never end? "What on earth was so bad that you lied to me my entire life to keep me safe from it? You lied to me! My entire life, I thought you were dead, and now, you expect me to be okay with all of that because it was all for my safety? Tell me what it was! Try to make me understand your messed up logic here!"

I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly, not quite sure what to say next. There was so much to be said. "I confess, nothing seems right about what we did. I didn't like it, either, but the thing is, uh...what you have to understand is..."

"What?"

I laughed nervously, knowing that I would be hated for what I said next. "I'm not really sure how to say it, actually. Haha..."

Anna gave a ridiculously over the top groan and fell face first onto the mattress beside me, muttering something unintelligible into the sheets. I couldn't help but laugh. Anna was still the same, dramatic girl that I knew and loved. We just stayed like that for a while, stealing glances at each other when we weren't looking, until a thought, a crazy, random, wonderful thought entered my head. "But I can show you!" I chuckled, prodding her with my staff.

What she mumbled into the sheets next sounded something like, "What are you talking about?" That, or it was some kind of obscene comment. I stuck to the first idea.

"Just go put on some Winter clothes and be back here in five minutes." Anna looked at me skeptically, but to my great amazement, she trusted me and did what I said. (I reminded myself later to give her a lesson on taking orders from strangers, not that I was a stranger, but she was a trusting soul, and I would like for her to not have that trust damaged in some way.)

Anna came back in a long sleeved, blue and black embroidered dress accessorized with snow boots and a thick, magenta cloak. Under the snow cap that she was having trouble tying on with gloved hands, she wore her hair in two braids, the platinum streak plain and visible on the right one. I wondered how she would react to the story behind that streak. Knowing her, probably very loudly. "Now, climb on my back," I instructed.

"I think I'm a little too old for piggy-back rides," she grumbled.

I rolled my eyes, a move that she copied. "Just do it."

"Okay..." She did what she was told, and I groaned under her weight.

"When did you get fat?" I teased. She smacked me upside the head. "Okay, I get it. Just don't do that while we're flying okay? It might throw me off balance."

"Wait, what?"

"Oh, and you're going to want to hold on. Wouldn't want you falling off," I continued, loving her reaction to everything that I said. It was so nice to actually be talking to her again, even if she was freaking out a little.

"Wait, flying what?"

"C'mon, Anna. We're going to get away from all of this for a while. A little field trip. For the first time in forever, we're going to have a little fun." I smiled back at her and nearly laughed at her flustered expression.

"Um, I'm still stuck on the FLYING part!"

"Ready or not, here we go!" I shot out the window into the icy air, Anna screaming the entire time. Ah, family.

**(Man, do I love writing this! I've done three chapters in, like, a day! Please continue reviewing. You have no idea how wonderful it is to hear your helpful comments. I'd like to address a few of them now, if you don't mind. This first one is to a lot of you: I'm not really pushing an ElsaxPitch ship, but go ahead and treat it like that if you want, but also, check the K+ rating before you tell me to do something with it, please. Really, I like to treat it as more of a twisted father/daughter relationship, but by all means, ship. Ship if you must. I don't care. Another thing, yes, more RotG characters will be popping up. Sooner than you think, actually. I leave you with that for now. Go review!)**


	10. Chapter 10: This Is Why

**Anna**

I couldn't hear my own screaming for the roaring of wind in my ears. Fat snowflakes and sleet pelted my face as we shot upward, higher and higher and higher. I only stopped screaming when a small piece of ice caught in my throat, causing me to gag. I held painfully tight to my dad (it was really weird calling him that) as he took us up through the clouds, laughing the whole way. I shut my eyes, scared out of my mind.

After a second or two, the flying became steadier, and I dared to open my eyes just a tad, and after glimpsing a bright light, I opened them completely and gasped. I had never seen anything so beautiful. I could see the sun now that we were above the storm, and the clouds below us shone in various shades of pink and orange and all sorts of colors that were too stunning to give names to. It was a surreal experience. Dad was smiling at my reaction to it all. We flew along calmly for several minutes with me trying to reach out and touch the beautiful clouds until Dad called back to me, "Do you want to do something really fun?"

"Um..." I said, not quite sure what his idea of "fun" was when we were already flying thousands of feet above the earth.

"That's a yes!" Suddenly, we jerked straight upward again, but I hadn't the time to grab on properly, so I was scrambling to keep hold of him. Then, of course, he flew upside down. I fell fast and hard, shrieking at the top of my lungs while he floated there, waving goodbye as he grew farther and farther away from me. He was crazy! Then, he was flying right next to me, smiling and laughing at my flailing.

"Help me!" I screeched at him, and he rolled his eyes. In one swift motion, he hooked his wooden staff around me and swung me onto his back again before I had even reached the clouds. I latched on immediately, shaking and gasping for breath from fright. Dad pulled up until we were flying in a straight path once again. "What the heck? That wasn't fun! I could have died!"

"I had everything under control," he assured me.

"Sure, you did," I replied sarcastically.

"It's fun when you're not freaking out."

"And why wouldn't anyone freak out?"

"You shouldn't worry about it if you trust me," he answered, somewhat solemnly. I started to inexplicably feel guilty. "Anna, do you trust me?"

"Yeah..." I answered carefully. He was my dad, after all. Looking down, I could see him start to smile again.

"Do you wanna try it again?" he asked, sounding more excited.

I knew I was going to regret this, but I nodded anyway. "Mmm-hmm..."

With a shout of delight, we rode straight up again, and this time, I let go. I let myself fall. He stopped suddenly once I did, not quite expecting that, but he went along with it anyway, circling around me as a screamed. Again, he hooked his staff around me and put me back on top of him, and not knowing quite why, I started to laugh. The thrill of it all was still fresh in my mind, and though I trembled from it, I couldn't help but laugh. "Again!" I blurted out before he had completely leveled off, and laughing with me, we went again and again until I was very tired. "That was some kind of crazy trust exercise!"

I noticed after a while that the clouds had disappeared below us suddenly, and we were over the ocean. Dad flew down to the waves, close enough for my dangling feet to catch to sea spray. The water spread out all around us for miles around, the closest bodies of land only dots on the horizon. I had never imagined the world being so big compared to my world, which still felt confined to the palace gates. Dad took us back up again for a gentler flight, and even though it was still early afternoon, I felt myself drift to sleep on his back, exhausted from the journey.

"Anna, wake up! Anna, we're here!" he shouted, bringing me out of a most wonderful dream of ships sailing off to distant lands with strange and colorful flowers. I slowly lifted my heavy, reluctant eyelids, and could tell by the sun that the day was nearly over. I rubbed my eyes and stretched, careful not to fall off of his back. That had been the best dream I'd had in a while. "Anna," Dad asked tentatively, "Now that you see me, would you be willing to believe in other crazy things?"

"I guess." I shrugged.

"Say, like, Santa, or the Easter Bunny, or...the Tooth Fairy?"

"Wait, what?"

"Would you believe in them?"

"They're real?" I exclaimed.

"Do you trust me?" he repeated.

"Of course," I answered, no longer a doubt in my mind. I found it so easy to relax around him. He knew who I was and what I liked and wanted, and I knew that he would never let me fall or get hurt.

"Then, yes. Now, look around you." I had been looking down at him to hear him better over the wind, but I did as he directed, and my mouth fell open. It appeared to be a some kind of magnificent palace, gleaming gold in the setting sun. It had many parts to it and each appeared to be floating over a deep cavern around a central dome. Small birds flitted about everywhere. Dad landed in a large, gilded cage-like structure and helped me down. With a grand, sweeping gesture, he announced, "Welcome to the tooth palace."

I twirled around in place, trying to take everything in at once, the colorful tiles, the golden towers, and the strange birds that had begun to buzz curiously around me and Dad. One flew right around my head, and I saw that they were not birds, but tiny, strange, feathered creatures with insect-like wings and violet colored eyes that resembled a humans. Fairies! I had often read about them in my books, and when I was younger, I always dreamt of finding them out in the garden. As I grew older, I figured that they really were fictitious, much like everything else that I was quickly realizing was real, and I never, ever thought that I would see one until now. There had to be thousands and thousands of them in the palace, carrying teeth and money back and forth.

"Come on! There's someone that you need to see!" Dad took my hand and led me over a thin bridge towards the central structure. I had to hang onto him tightly, not quite sure how he could keep his balance so well. We appeared to enter the hub of activity as fairies swarmed all around us, tapping little compartments on the walls that immediately popped out. As we walked by, I saw that each little compartment was labeled with a face. "Tooth! Toothiana!" Dad called over and over, though I could barely hear him over the high-pitched squeaks of alarm from the fairies as he passed by. Several of them flew ahead of us upon seeing him. A minute passed, and Dad turned to me. "I wonder if she's out at the moment."

Out of nowhere, a much larger fairy appeared from the swarms, throwing her arms around my dad. "Jack!" she exclaimed. She was as beautiful as the castle she lived in. A few inches taller than me, the fairy was covered head-to-toe in brightly colored, shimmering feathers. Her eyes were a brilliant purple, hooded by long, thick lashes. She smiled widely as she swung my father around excitedly, and her teeth were so white that I thought I might go blind, but I simply couldn't take my eyes off of her.

"Hey, Tooth!" Dad hugged her back, and they separated, her hovering just a foot or so off the ground.

"Oh my goodness! I thought I'd never see you again! I mean, it's been so long since I last saw you, since anyone last saw you, actually..." I noticed that the fairy had a tendency to rush her sentences.

"C'mon, it hasn't been that-"

"Over twenty years, Jack."

"Oh." Dad suddenly went quiet, and I realized in that moment how much he had given up for me and our family, even though I had never seen him. This fairy was obviously a friend of his, but around the same time Elsa was born, he had alienated her. I still couldn't understand the reason behind it, but I knew it had to be because of us, and it reminded me of how Elsa shut me out. She'd had a good reason, I think, and I knew that Dad probably did, too. I reminded myself to try and ask later if nothing else was revealed during this visit.

The fairy looked over his shoulder and finally noticed me. "Oh, my," she gasped.

Awkwardly, Dad introduced the two of us. "Anna, this is the Tooth Fairy. Tooth, this is Anna, my...daughter." He'd hesitated on the last word, and it was killing me to know why. The Tooth Fairy flew over to me, and studied me curiously.

"I'd heard rumors, but...wow. I never really thought...this is just...wow." It felt kind of weird having this odd woman look at me so closely and be amazed. I shifted awkwardly and began to fiddle with the clasp on my cloak. It was much hotter here than back home. "North told me about the presents he delivered for you, Bunny said he'd seen at an egg hunt in a kingdom several years ago, and Sandy, well, he described as best he could. Heck, even my fairies told me, but I just never..."

"You never came by yourself?" Dad asked, sounding very depressed, totally different from his jovial attitude up in the air.

"I just figured that you wanted to be alone again, or something. I didn't really want to bother you if you wanted to shut us out," she said, turning back to him, also very sad, all of a sudden. "I just avoided you, I guess. The other Guardians can't really do the same; I can have my fairies handle a certain section, but they felt kind of the same way. You just sort of disappeared, Jack." Tooth sighed. "I should have come, but Jack, you do know that-"

"Yes," he interrupted, glancing nervously at me. "Yes, I know." They shared a long look where something was understood between them that I was left out of. I was biting my tongue, trying not to burst with the million questions bouncing around inside my head.

"She's beautiful," Tooth complimented, breaking the silence. I felt a little put off that she wasn't speaking directly to me. I might have said something if she didn't suddenly gasp. "Oh! If the rumors are true, isn't there another one? I hear one of them has powers, Jack, like you! Is it her?" She pointed at me, but still didn't ask me herself.

"No," I answered before Dad could, trying to break into their annoyingly exclusive conversation. I didn't understand why I wasn't being treated like an adult here. I was eighteen.

"Then, where's the other one?" Tooth continued, too excited to pay me any mind.

"That's a long story," Dad responded, also appearing to ignore me. I was really starting to get annoyed.

"What's a Guardian?" I questioned, still vying for attention.

"That's also a long story."

"So, if you've been gone all these years, why show up now? Why here?" said Tooth, crowding him.

Dad slammed the end of his staff down on the tiles with a resounding crack, and frost spread out from the point of impact in swirling patterns on the floor. Both me and the Tooth Fairy grew silent. "Will someone just give me a chance to explain?" he huffed. First, he turned to me. "A Guardian is a character chosen by the Man in the Moon who protects something in children. Nicholas St. North, aka Santa Claus, protects wonder. E. Aster Bunnymund, aka the Easter Bunny, protects hope. The Sandman protects dreams, and Tooth here protects precious memories."

The Tooth Fairy put a hand on my shoulder and smiled. "And your, uh, father is a Guardian, too. He protects fun."

Though completely weirded out by all of this, still, I shrugged. "Makes sense."

"And about the memories," my dad continued, "That's what we're here for. I need to see Anna's teeth."

"My what?"

"No problem!" Tooth said, and she gave a few directions to passing fairies. "But may I ask what for?"

"There's something she needs to see that happened a long time ago, but something happened, and now she can't remember," Dad explained.

"What? What can I not remember?"

"Oh, okay." Tooth nodded.

"Also, there's one more thing I've been wondering about," said Dad. "Is it possible to look into other people's memories? I remember that when I saw mine, Baby Tooth couldn't, even though she was right next to me the entire time."

"Jack, I'm sorry, but no. Why?"

"Uh, it's kind of...well, the thing is..." Dad fumbled around for words.

"Oh, here it is!" Tooth announced as a small group of fairies dropped a cylindrical, golden canister in her hands. "Princess Anna. If I remember correctly, you had quite a bit of a sweet tooth," she teased as she handed the box to me.

"Still do," I giggled. I examined the box. On the front was very clearly my face, but something seemed a little off about the picture. On top was a diamond-shaped button.

"Go on," both my dad and the Tooth Fairy urged. Not knowing what might happen next, I pressed the button, and as the box opened, I was enveloped in a brilliant white light. When the light left, I found myself standing in the castle hallways.

"But how?" I wondered out loud. How had I gotten back so fast? In a rush of cold air, Dad flew past me. I tried to call out to him and ask what was going on, but he didn't appear to see or hear me.

"Catch me if you can!" he called, turning a corner.

Before I could even wonder why he was playing games at a time like this, an all too familiar voice sounded behind me. "Anna's it! Anna's it!" Elsa rushed past me, but she was much, much younger, and she was laughing, running, and playing, nearly nothing like the Elsa I had come to know. Then, I saw myself race by, and I finally understood. This was a memory, but the odd thing was that I didn't ever remember this. I followed the trio of old around the corner and saw that little Elsa had leaned against a wall and had accidentally frozen it. Dad looked slightly concerned, but little me only kept giggling and tagged Dad.

Wait, what? I had seen him? I knew he had existed? And I didn't even react to Elsa's magic! It was as if it was completely normal for me. I watched Dad clean up little Elsa's mess and tousle her hair before the image faded to something else. It was snowing inside the bedroom that Elsa and I used to share, and little me was playing late into the night until she slipped on the ice that was quickly spreading. I watched myself run to Elsa and shake her, but she refused to wake up. She was too caught up in some strange dream. Little me tried leaving the room, but the door had frozen shut, so I watched myself trudge over to the bed and shiver underneath the covers, waiting for morning to arrive.

Had that been the horrible thing that had happened? Was that why Elsa moved out and her powers were kept a secret from me? No, that still didn't explain why I couldn't remember any of this. I watched the image change once again. Little Elsa and little me were playing in the ballroom, Elsa using her magic to coat the ground in ice and snow. We were dancing to joyful music outside until I fell into the snow. Little me got up and made up a game where little me would jump off a snow pile while little Elsa caught her with another one. I watched that game continue until little me was dancing on snow drifts high enough to touch the chandelier. I knew this was about to end badly.

Little me jumped, little Elsa slipped on the ice, and instead of creating a soft pile of snow for me to land in, Elsa's blast of magic hit me squarely in the head. She ran over to where I fell. "It's okay. I've got you, Anna!" she cried, but I was unconscious, and where she had hit me, my hair turned white. Little Elsa began to cry, starting a blizzard in the room. The image quickly faded, and I saw Mother singing, her long hair wrapped around little me. Mother was crying, and little Elsa and Dad stood in the background of the image, surrounded by a circle of frost. The image changed again.

It was morning in this image, and little me was perfectly fine and bouncing around, asking to play with Elsa. Little me burst out of the door where Father waited, arms outstretched...and I ran right through him. Little me didn't acknowledge him in the slightest, not remembering the games or the fun or anything about magic whatsoever. Suddenly, I was yanked back into reality.

Dad and Tooth were still talking. "I'm sorry, Jack, but that was before my time," Tooth was saying. They didn't seem to notice that I was back yet.

I looked at the white streak running through my right braid, then back at the image on the canister, where it was noticeably absent. The streak wasn't natural. It was made by magic, which apparently doesn't count when it comes to baby teeth. I looked back at Dad, who was nodding, looking somewhat disappointed, to Tooth. I could never forget that horrified face of his that was in the last memory. That image was burned into my mind. An expression full of all the pain in the world, caused completely by me. I couldn't stop the tears running down my cheeks.

The two finally noticed me, and before anyone could ask what I had seen and why I was crying, I ran to Dad and hugged him. Surprised and probably a little unsure, he didn't hug me back at first. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," I sobbed into his shirt. "How could I ever forget you?" I felt him heave a heavy sigh and wrap his arms around me. The embrace was cold, but I couldn't care less. "I love you," I told him, and I felt him kiss the top of my head.

"I love you, too," he replied, his voice breaking. We could have stayed like that forever, but that would have been too happy of an ending.

"Jack?" Tooth said, worry evident in her voice. We parted abruptly, and the first thing I realized was that I was still cold. We both looked up and saw the dark clouds gathering overhead, and one after another, snowflakes began to fall, causing the little fairies to panic. "It never snows here!"

Dad held up his hands defensively. "I'm not doing it!"

"Jack, what's going on?"

Instead of answering her, Dad looked at me. "How about the bogeyman? Are you willing to believe in him?"

Tooth started to panic. "Wait, what? What's all this about Pitch? What's going on? What does he have to do with this? Do I need to get the other Guardians? Jack, answer me! Don't you just-!"

It was too late. Dad had already thrown me onto his back, and we were flying into the darkening sky. "It's getting worse," Dad muttered, which worried me, but not more than the Tooth Fairy's reaction to the mention of the bogeyman, something Mother had told me never to worry about. Could it be...could he be real? And how dangerous was he if Tooth's first reaction was to call the other Guardians? As we fought the winds going upward to the clouds, I had an awful feeling that something terrible was yet to come.

**(Whoo! Fun chapter! Can't wait to write what's up ahead. I mean, I would now, but my finger hurts from accidently sewing myself to a dress that I'm making that's based on Elsa's. Yes, I was using a machine, and no, I have no idea how I managed to get that needle stuck through my finger. Anywho, what do you think Jack was asking Tooth about when Anna was taking a trip down memory lane? I'd love to hear your theories. Review! Review! Review!)**


	11. Chapter 11: Nightmare King & Snow Queen

**Jack**

Despite the knowledge that the weather was progressively getting worse, I couldn't help but feel elated the entire way home. Anna believed. She'd said she loved me. Maybe, just maybe there was a chance to fix the family. Pitch was manipulating Elsa. I just knew it, and she had to see it sooner or later. Then, she would come back home without having to hide anymore, and we would send the bogeyman on his way. Our family would finally be perfect. I had the image in my head, and it was so close that it hurt.

I flew as fast as I could back to the kingdom, to Anna's great disappointment. Above the clouds, the night sky was beautiful, and she would reach up and point at the stars, almost as if she might grab them. Though I knew she must be tired, we talked nearly the entire way back.

"It's all real!" she exclaimed happily, her eyes wide with wonder. "So what's Santa like? Or the Easter Bunny?"

"They're all really cool. Rough around the edges, but cool," I explained. "Remind me one of these days to take you to Santa's workshop. All year long, it's so colorful and fun, full of toys you would never think existed! The warren's also pretty neat, especially closer to Easter. I'll have him show you how the eggs are painted. There's so much I want to show you, now!"

She hugged me tighter around my neck. "There's so much I want to see!" she replied. "The palace was gorgeous!"

"And you have to meet Sandy! I'm sure he'll love you."

"What's he like?"

"Quiet, but a really fun guy. I still remember that time I watched him kick Pitch's butt! Ha! Fun times!"

"Who?"

I was confused by her question for a moment and had to remind myself that she still wasn't completely caught up with names. "Pitch. Pitch black, aka the bogeyman."

"Oh." She grew silent for a minute, considering something. Carefully, she asked, "And what's he like?"

I opened and closed my mouth several times, trying to find the right words to say. The whole situation seemed so complicated. "Bad."

"Alright. What does he look like? What kind of powers does he have besides making nightmares?"

"Why so interested?"

"Well, Mom said the bogeyman took Elsa, isn't that right? Did Pitch Black take Elsa?"

"Yes," I answered slowly, wondering where this conversation was heading.

"I just thought that if we're going to get her back, that I would need to-"

"We?" I interrupted.

"Yeah, 'we.' I started all of this, so I'm going to help."

"No."

"But Dad!"

"I said no! Pitch is dangerous, and I'm not going to let him hurt you, too!" Anna shrank back at my outburst, and I hoped that I wasn't driving her away. If anything, I needed her now more than ever, but I was not going to let her anywhere near Pitch. I don't think either of us knew what to say at that point, so the rest of the trip went on in silence. I almost thought that she had gone back to sleep, but when we reached the castle late that night, she stirred on my back. I flew in through the window we had left from, and she shimmied off. After fighting the wind to close the panes, I turned back to Anna, knowing that I should say something.

Never really the shy one, Anna spoke first. "I had fun tonight, Dad." She gave me a warm smile. Her eyes were tearing up from the fierce wind, and her cheeks were red from being stung by her pigtails, but she was practically glowing with happiness. I couldn't help but smile back, feeling assured that everything was going to be alright. Rapunzel had said to think positive, and I wasn't sure how I hadn't been able to before. Everything was fine.

"I did, too. It's late and cold. You should probably head off to bed." I kissed her goodnight, and off she skipped to her bedroom like a good, obedient, little girl, which was my clue that something was up. I made a mental note to keep a close eye on her all night. I floated out of the room and down the staircase, where I saw a familiar train of golden hair. Playfully, I flew over and gave it a tug to get her attention.

"Now, if you do that one more time-!" she warned, turning on me with frying pan in hand. "Oh, Jack. It's just you. Where on earth have you be-" I kissed her before she could finish, and we pulled back, both smiling. "I'm guessing it all went well?"

"It was great!" I said, floating around her. She giggled and tried to keep up with me, which only resulted in her getting tangled up in her own hair. I came to a rest balanced on top of my staff. "So, how was your afternoon?"

"If that stupid Duke of Weasel-town doesn't-"

"Oh, you call him that, too?" She nodded, laughing.

"He's just been awful. He hates me for my magic and for Elsa's."

"Nah. He's just jealous of your hair," I teased. "I blew past him in town earlier. He's wearing a toupee, in case you haven't noticed."

"Oh, everyone's noticed except him, I think!" We laughed. "Jack, it's so nice seeing back again. You always did know how to make me laugh."

"I never really left," I said, though I knew exactly what she meant.

"I know. It's just that there's a time to be serious and a time to be fun, and thirteen years of being serious is overdoing it a bit, don't you think? I like the fun you. I like it when you're happy."

"Well, when you're right, you're right. I'm just thinking positively. Your words, not mine."

"You wouldn't have needed my help with that, Mister Snowballs and Fun Times. You're already so good at it. I think you were just a bit out of practice." She smiled radiantly.

"I love you," I blurted out (a sign that maybe I had spent too much time with Anna, if that were possible). I dropped from my staff and went over to hug her but was interrupted by a squeak. "What?" Baby Tooth suddenly flew out of my jacket pocket and hovered by my face.

"Aw, she's adorable! You went to the tooth palace?" Rapunzel exclaimed.

Baby Tooth uttered a series of chastising squeaks, her odd colored eyes squinting in anger. "Yes, I know I stopped by without saying hi to you," I responded. "I'm sorry, but now there's no way to get you back home. I can hardly fly through this storm." Baby Tooth gave a passive squeak and settled onto my shoulder.

"I don't think she cares," Rapunzel laughed.

"By the way, when did the storm get stronger?" I asked while it was on my mind. "It's reached the tooth palace."

"No way! It only got this bad a few hours ago." Rapunzel sighed, travelling over to the window with a view of the North Mountain. Elsa's ice castle was invisible among the clouds and flurries. "I just wish I knew what was going on up there. I don't like it. I don't like it at all."

**Pitch**

My power was growing every minute, as was hers. I had to credit myself on the genius of this plan. Cold and dark was an awesomely effective method of drawing out fear. I could hear them all from my perch on the balcony. They feared that Elsa could trap them all forever in eternal winter or just kill them on a whim, which was true, but it would be my whim, really. I could feel Jack's little wife's worry about her daughter up on the mountain, but something left a sour taste behind when I felt it.

Hope. Since the last time I had checked, there was an awful sliver of hope that had found some room to grow, and what was worse was who it had come from. Jack's fear was potent and wonderful. I still savored the feeling from that morning. Watching the torment on his face as his daughter, his precious family, turned his back on him. The screams of agony were still wonderfully fresh in my ears, but I realized that I had failed in tearing the family completely apart, but there was still time to spread the fear, and if all else failed, well, there were other ways to destroy nuisances, pests, and the like.

I wandered from the balcony to the front doors, where just outside, Elsa was practicing her magic like I had insisted. Though she felt like she was rebelling, she was still acting like an obedient child. Even her practice appeared to be more play. She smiled wide when she saw me, and I could help but smile back. It was almost like she was my own daughter, though even sweeter than that notion was the vengeance I had enacted by stealing her for myself. If Jack was going to have a family, so was I, but in my own way.

"Who needs flowers!" Elsa called over to me to get my attention. With a wave of her hand, crystal roses burst up from the snow with exaggerated thorns. "Who needs stars!" She tossed a blast of magic into the air that exploded brightly like a firework, and snowflakes rained down upon the both of us. She continued to play, creating and ornate mirror of nothing but ice, but it wasn't perfect, and every time she looked into it, her image came back distorted, which only made her laugh all the harder. I came up behind her, our faces swirling together in a funhouse effect. I found it mildly amusing, but Elsa simply could not control her laughter, and her magic sparked uncontrollably at her fingertips. "Watch this!" she said after catching her breath.

She made a large, sweeping gesture upwards, the concentration evident on her face. Above her head formed a massive, glittering snowflake. It was a little too pretty for my tastes, so pulling back my arms like I held a bow, I shot some of my nightmare sand into its heart, and it exploded in a black, sparkling cloud. Elsa squeaked in surprise, folding her arms over her eyes as the sand rained down on her. It fell and mixed into the snow, forming patterns of swirls and specks. "Whoa!" Elsa gasped, running her fingers through it. "This is amazing."

"We're amazing together," I said, placing a possessive hand on her shoulder. She looked up at me almost lovingly, a young adult but still so much a child, easily manipulated and easily exploited.

**(Short chapter for now. Just thought we needed a bit of an update on Pitch and Elsa. And what is Baby Tooth doing hanging around? As always, review!)**


	12. Chapter 12: The Ice Guy

**Anna**

I didn't sleep very well that night, what with all of the storming and freezing to death going on outside, but to be perfectly honest, I wasn't even trying. I just knew that I needed to see Elsa, and the snow was a constant reminder of her presence. I wan

ted to be there for her, even though Dad wouldn't let me, but she was my sister, for crying out loud! I couldn't just stand by and watch her be swayed by a man who could potentially kill me or torture me or...man, what was I getting myself into?

The idea of Pitch scared me, and why shouldn't it? He was responsible for my nightmares, Dad refused to talk about him, and the Tooth Fairy totally freaked out at the mention of his name. It was enough to upset anyone. By every account, he was some kind of horrible monster.

And Elsa had run away with him.

A terrible thought entered my head, and I felt guilty immediately for even thinking it. What if Elsa was evil? I knew in my heart that it couldn't be true. She was my sister, and though we had only spent a week getting to know each other again, it seemed like there was this connection to each other that had never gone away. The only reason she had snapped at the party was because I had pushed her too far, just like every other time. I was apparently very good at that. If I could only learn to listen and keep my stupid mouth shut, none of this would have happened. If I had obeyed and stayed in bed when I was I kid, Elsa and I wouldn't have played and started this whole mess, and if I had just given Elsa her glove back like she had asked, she wouldn't have freaked out in front of everybody and run off.

That was why I knew I had to get out and speak to her. I needed to apologize, and maybe she might find it in her heart to forgive me, and then we would come back down together again, and I would never disobey or question certain rules ever again. Well, maybe just one more. If I was going to get to her, I would have to break Dad's rule that I couldn't go near, if that were possible. All night long, I waited by my door, and so did he. Every time I thought that the hallway was empty and quiet, I would slowly open my door (with a very audible creak) and peer outside to make sure that the coast was clear, and every time I did that, I was met with some sly remark from Dad that would send me running back inside. "Shouldn't you be in bed? No, no, no! Not today! Do you have a hall pass?"

He knew me too well, so all I could do was sit and stare out my window, watching the snowflakes drift by. The snow served as a constant reminder of my sister, so close but just out of my reach.

Finally, the sun rose, and I forced my aching body up, knowing I had to get to the dining hall quickly, or else all of the hot glogg would be gone. I yawned, rubbing my puffy, red eyes when I came to the realization _that the sun was out_. I pressed my face against my window, marveling at the white blanket coating the town below, it's brilliance almost blinding. I knew that I had to leave today. The weather would be perfect for traveling, and who knew how quickly it could change? I would even have an excuse to slip outside, seeing how the children played and ran about. I threw on my hat, cloak, and gloves and dashed out my door. When I reached the stairs, Dad appeared and slid along the railing next to me, leaving a trail of ice in his wake.

"Did you have a good night's sleep?" he joked.

I gave a sarcastic laugh. "Actually, I kept getting the feeling that I was being watched all night. Maybe it was the bogeyman?" I smiled, but my teasing comment had an adverse effect on him. When we reached the bottom of the staircase, he leapt off and floated down in front of me.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"Outside, duh." I rolled my eyes. Dad still didn't move, and he refused to let me pass every time I tried to go around him. "I'm just going to go outside and play in the snow. The weather's just perfect." He raised an eyebrow skeptically, and I offered my most innocent smile.

"Fine," he agreed. I jumped up and down excitedly. "But only in the courtyard."

"Aw, what?" I whined, sagging my shoulders.

"Most of the kingdom is staying in the castle. You should have plenty of friends to be with. I just know how you love being with people." In other words, _I know what you're up to so stay where I and several other people can see you._ He tossed an impish smile my way and flew off. Though it was childish and pointless, I stuck my tongue out at him once he couldn't see.

I would have to make the best of the situation. I ran outside, immediately slipped on a patch of ice, and landed face-first into the powder. Several children pointed and laughed. I scrambled to my feet and brushed myself off, blushing bright red with embarrassment. I wanted to face-palm myself out of stupidity, but before I could, an unnaturally large snowflake landed on my nose and burst apart. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dad balanced on top of his staff. "Come on. Let's have a little fun!" I couldn't help but laugh.

I gathered up some snow in my hand, packed it into a hard ball, and threw it straight at him. He dodged and did a back-flip and landed back perfectly on his staff. Instead, the snowball hit a young boy, who immediately started laughing and threw another at a girl who appeared to be his sister. Before I knew it, we were having an all-out snowball fight. I wished I could say that Dad was on my team, but he tended to remain a neutral party, throwing snowballs at anything that moved. I got to see him perform magic for the first time in forever. I watched as he waved his staff, glowing blue with a strange energy, and snowballs would immediately gather at his feet. It was an amazing sight that I never grew tired of, and after a while, I nearly completely forgot about my mission with all of the fun that we were having.

In fact, we were having so much fun that I didn't pay much attention to anything, and I threw one unlucky snowball that hit the Duke in the back of the head, knocking his toupee askew. I gasped as my hand flew to my mouth (mostly to cover up some giggles) while Dad started laughing so hard that he fell off of his staff and rolled in the snow. With a look of indignity on his face, the Duke turned on his high heels and walked stiffly back inside, but not before slipping on some ice that mysteriously appeared out of nowhere. Once he was inside, the entire courtyard burst into a chorus of laughter, especially me as my dad winked.

I took a minute to rest on the doorstep, looking up at the sky. I had a moment of panic when I realized that noon was fast approaching. I didn't have much time! I wandered over to a servant named Gerda, who had come out as well to enjoy the fun. "Gerda, do you know that ice salesman in town? Christopher?"

"You mean Kristoff," she corrected.

"Sure. I need you to bring him here." I knew he wasn't at the palace. I had been searching for him in the courtyard for a while.

"I don't think we're short on ice at all," Gerda commented.

"Yes, but I need to see him." Gerda eyed me a moment, but nodded and began to trek into town.

I knew that I wasn't going to be able to make it up the mountain by myself, so all night, I had thought about who would take me, and reluctantly, I came to the conclusion that the best candidate would be the ice salesman. He insisted on going up the mountain every day, so he must know the paths best. I waited impatiently by the gates for Gerda and Kristopher to come back.

Finally, they returned. Gerda gave me another odd look, as if to ask why, but I dismissed her and turned to the ice salesman. He wore a constant grimace. "How often do you go up the North Mountain?"

"Never, recently," he grumbled, leaning against his reindeer.

"But do you know the paths?" I asked, having second thoughts about this plan.

"Of course."

"Would you be able to take someone up to the top with you?"

"Do I look like a taxi to you?" he snapped.

"Not even if she asked really, really nicely?" I forced a smile.

"Absolutely not."

I dropped the nice girl routine. "What if the princess ordered you to."

"In case you haven't noticed, the royal family isn't really in charge here. Well, one of them is, but I'm surprised that you haven't disowned her yet."

"That's my sister!" I stamped my foot angrily in the snow.

"Take it easy!" he huffed. "Anyway, I couldn't take you up there if I wanted to, which I don't. Do you see the castle up there?" He pointed to the mountain.

"No."

"That's because of the storms surrounding it. My little sled isn't going to make that."

I groaned at this latest turn of events. I need to get up there, so I pressed my fingers into my forehead and thought. "I have a bigger sleigh."

"Oh, do you, now?"

"And if you take me up, I'll let you keep it." This got his attention, and he looked at me long and hard, as if he were trying to figure out if I was telling the truth. "I promise."

After a moment, he said, "Let me see it." I nodded and whistled for another servant Kay, and told him to fetch the sleigh, and he did as I asked. It was beautiful, if I do say so myself. It was hand-carved and polished to perfection. Kristopher ran a finger along its smooth surface and whistled, clearly impressed. "Okay, maybe just one trip."

I smiled and had to keep from dancing around. It wouldn't help his opinion of me. "Just let me grab some supplies, and we leave immediately." I expected him to object to our sudden departure, but he was too stunned to really respond. As I walked away, I looked over my shoulder to see him hooking up his reindeer to the sleigh already and begin climbing in.

I sent Kay to get some rope and other mountain climbing equipment and Gerda to the kitchen for just a little food for the journey while I went to find my Dad. He happened to be standing around just beside the doors. "Having fun out there?" he asked. "Making any friends?"

"Yes. Actually, a friend and I wanted to go for a sleigh ride through town."

"Oh, really?" Dad raised a disbelieving eyebrow and floating over to the door. Upon seeing, Kristopher sitting in my sleigh, he frowned dramatically and stared at me. "Him?"

"Yeah," I answered.

"Him?"

"Dad, are you alright?"

"You're going on a sleigh ride with him? No one else?"

"Dad, you're not going to go all Papa Bear on me now, are you? He's a friend." _Not even that_, I thought. "Just chill out."

"Ha. Ha."

"So can I go?" Dad looked back and forth between me and the ice salesman, then he narrowed his eyes, and I knew at once that he suspected something was up.

"Okay..." I smiled prematurely. "But you have to take Baby Tooth with you."

"Who's-" Before I even finished, a fairy with odd-colored eyes - one blue and one purple - flitted up to me and squeaked enthusiastically. I couldn't help but grin as the cute little creature flew around my head a few times before snuggling under one of my braids.

"Report everything back to me," he instructed the fairy.

"You know, I'm probably the only eighteen-year-old ever to have a babysitter," I groaned.

"And also the only one to have a fairy for a babysitter. Would you rather I go along for the ride? I'm sure I would enjoy getting to know your friend," he threatened.

"No, it's cool!" I said quickly, hurrying to get out the door before he became any more suspicious. "I'll see you in a bit, Dad."

"Be back by dark or you're in big trouble!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Pitch Black."

"That, too."

I waved and ran over to the sleigh that Gerda had just finished preparing and hopped in next to Kristopher, who had taken up the reins. "Keep looking straight ahead and go. My dad is watching," I whispered through my teeth.

"What? You know that this is not-" he began angrily.

"Yes, but he doesn't." Kristopher started to turn his head towards the door. "Don't look! Just go, Kristopher! Go, go, go!"

"It's Kristoff," he mumbled as he slapped the reins, beginning our long trek. I felt Baby Tooth huddle under my cloak to get out of the cold, and I wondered how I would deal with her later.

**Jack**

I heard Rapunzel's musical laugh as she came up behind me and leaned her head on my shoulder. "So, Anna finally found someone?"

"What? No, no, no, no," I denied fervently. "Just a friend. She said it was just a friend."

Rapunzel was obviously in the mood to tease. "You do know that's girl code for fathers that she's got a boyfriend."

I bit the inside of my cheek unhappily. "I'm going after her."

Rapunzel grabbed my arm. "No, you aren't. You are going to stay right here and let her have a little bit of freedom."

"She'll never know I'm there."

"Jack, no. You're trying to lock her up. You're being a Papa Bear."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"You so are!" Rapunzel chuckled. "You always have been."

I sighed, knowing that she was completely right. "It's just that I've been alone in the universe for so long, and you are my only family and friends."

"What about the Guardians?"

"Why are we bringing this up now?"

"Just a thought I had. You never talk about them anymore. How is Tooth, by the way?"

"She's just the same." I smiled, but had to think of a way out of this. I didn't know exactly how to explain things to her, even though I had the feeling that she already understood. "What happened is that I met you, and I fell in love," I told her. Rapunzel kissed me warmly on the cheek, and I thought I was in the clear until she spoke.

"Okay, so you don't want to talk about it right now. That's fine." Rapunzel walked off, humming to herself. I loved listening to her voice. Her singing somehow made me feel safe and - ironically enough - warm. I looked back out the door where Anna and the boy had been just a little bit earlier. "Don't even think about it," she called back to me. "Just leave them alone."

**(Geez, I am updating this thing obsessively. I'm having way too much fun writing this. Now, go review!)**


	13. Chapter 13: Secrets

**Anna**

I pulled up the blanket as we rode through the town, careful not to draw to much attention to ourselves, which wasn't hard. Most everyone had retreated to the castle, so our kingdom felt more like a ghost town. It unnerved me somewhat, remembering all of the dancing and laughing that had gone on in the streets only days before. We passed through the town square, where I remembered Mother painting a mural on the second day of the celebration underneath all of the banners, which had since fallen down, over-burdened with the weight of the endless snow. I saw what was left of the chocolate stand where I had first reconnected with Elsa, the world still unaware of her power.

I saw ahead of us the kingdom's gates that led to a massive stone bridge over the frozen fjord. We were just about to go across when Kristoff yanked on the reigns, the sudden stop throwing me forward. "Wait a second, the king is dead," he muttered.

I righted myself and looked at him curiously. "What?"

"You said that your father was watching us. Your father is dead. He died before you were born."

"Oh..." I looked down at my feet, not quite sure how to handle this one. "I, uh, you see, it's kind of complicated. When I said that my dad was, well, what I meant was..." I kept fumbling for words to explain this, but what could I say?_ My dad is Jack Frost and is invisible to pretty much everyone else except me. Please, take me to the nearest insane asylum._

"Am I helping you sneak out?" he asked. At his words, Baby Tooth shot out of my cloak, and I stood up to try and catch her, only succeeding because I had felt her stir and had prepared myself beforehand. I cupped my hands around her, wincing as I felt her sharp beak stab me through my gloves.

"Will you excuse me for a moment?" I laughed nervously and hopped out of the sleigh, dashing to the nearest secluded alley.

"She's crazy," I heard Kristoff say to no one in particular.

Once I was pretty much alone, I adjusted my grip so that I held Baby Tooth by her wings to try and keep her from pecking me anymore. "Listen, I need you to not tell my dad where I'm going, okay?" I pleaded. She only uttered a defiant squeak and continued to squirm. "You don't understand. This is my sister. I have to help her, and don't you want to meet his other daughter?" Baby Tooth folded her tiny little arms. "Please?" I still got nothing from her.

"Aw, c'mon! Elsa and I used to be best friends when we were kids, but I just saw in my memories that I was the one who caused all of this to happen. Can't you understand that I want to make things right." Baby Tooth pointed back at the castle. "I know Dad told me not to go, but he really just didn't want me going anywhere near the bogeyman, and-"

Baby Tooth gave two little squeaks, as if to exclaim, _Pitch Black!_

"Who says I'll even see him? He could be out when I come, and then I'll talk to Elsa, and then she'll come back, and Dad will be happy again. Don't you want Dad to be happy." Baby Tooth gestured to the ice palace. "Elsa won't hurt me. I just know it." She hung limp finally, looking a bit defeated. "That's why I need you to stay quiet about all of this. Please? Just this once? All I'm going to do is try and make everything right. I'm going to let go now. Promise me that you won't fly away?"

Baby Tooth looked up at my smile, thought for a moment, and gave a sweet squeak that I assumed meant yes. I carefully released her wings, and she flitted about for a few nerve-racking seconds before coming to rest on my shoulder with yet another squeak, seeming to say, _But I'm going with you._

"I wouldn't have it any other way," I told her. "I'm going to need someone on my side with this ice salesman." Baby Tooth nodded, and once she was safe inside of my cloak once again, I walked back over to the sleigh where Kristoff was waiting. "Let's go," I instructed.

"No," he argued, clutching the reins in a tight fist.

"Not an acceptable answer."

"You do realize that I could be arrested for this, or worse? By all accounts, I'm kidnapping you." I looked up at the sun in the sky, which had started its descent. I didn't have time for this.

"I'll clear everything up when we get back. Don't worry about it." I waved my hand and took my seat.

"No," he repeated.

I groaned and thought up a bargain. "Look, you're an ice salesman, right Kristopher?"

"It's Kristoff!"

"And how's business right now?" He said nothing, which was all the answer that I needed. "I know how to stop this winter." He raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "I just need you to take me to my sister, and all I have to do is talk to her."

"Really? That's your plan? Because by all accounts, she's a few carrots short of a bushel."

"What?" I couldn't understand his strange expression and had an odd feeling that it wasn't one commonly used.

"You know, not quite there upstairs?" He pointed to his head. "As in, why on earth would she listen to reason?"

"You just don't know her like I do. Now, can we go before my dad gets suspicious and comes after us?"

"Right. Your dead father. I'm starting to think that you're just as crazy as her."

"She's not crazy!" I insisted. "Can we go now?" Kristoff still didn't move. "You won't get the sleigh unless you take me."

After a moment, he sighed and sat down with the reins. "Come on, Sven," he called to his reindeer, and we took off across the bridge. The bridge led South, but it was easy enough for us to circle back around towards the North Mountain. I looked up at the sky nervously, seeing the sun sink lower and lower into the sky, and we weren't even at the base of the mountain yet. If we weren't close to the castle before sundown, Dad would come looking and drag me back home. I had a feeling that if we got close enough, Elsa's magic might deter him just long enough for me to reach her before he could reach me.

"Can't this thing go any faster?" I asked.

"We're about to find out." He slapped the reins and gave a command to Sven, who almost appeared to groan at the extra effort. We shot off like a rocket, flying over small bumps with snow flying in our faces. I laughed, wiping it out of my eyes.

"I like fast!" I cheered.

**Jack**

I paced by the door all day long, waiting for Anna's return. I almost wanted to laugh at myself. I had been on edge for so many things lately: the Guardians, Pitch Black, Elsa's safety, etc. But this was such a normal thing to be worried about! What could I say? Life goes on.

Rapunzel would stop by every once in a while to check on me, mocking me for being a Papa Bear. I eventually got used to the title. Why shouldn't I be? Apparently, my family was in high demand.

I became extremely bored in the last few hours, though. All of the children had gone inside to get warm for the day. There were no more sled rides, snowball fights, or ice skating contests to be had, leaving me with nothing to distract me from the predicaments of my daughters. I was tapping a nearby mirror with my staff repeatedly, forming odd floral patterns along the glass when Rapunzel came up to me last, carrying a hot bowl of hazelnut soup, her specialty. "I didn't know if you were hungry or not. I know that you don't really eat much, but I thought that it might calm you down a bit." As much as I wanted to stay and wait for Anna, the smell of the soup was so inviting and comforting. "You could even join me in the dining hall. Everybody's gone to bed."

"That sounds - wait, what?"

"Well, they all turned in early tonight. I guess it's easier to sleep through the cold. In fact, I might hit the sack in a little bit just to get under the covers and get warm."

"If that's so, I probably shouldn't get too close to you tonight, and what time is it?"

Rapunzel thought for a moment. "I'm not quite sure. I'd have to check, but I know that the sun went down nearly an hour ago."

The realization hit me like a sack of bricks. How had I not noticed? Sometimes, it was so easy to get distracted while I was bored. "Anna should be back by now," I stated, staring at the door.

"Oh, leave her alone. She's probably just having a lot of fun, you know? She doesn't get out much - and I just said the wrong thing, didn't I?"

That was it. Before Rapunzel could protest or mock me again for being overprotective, I had flown out the door, leaving her standing in my cold wake with a frozen bowl of hazelnut soup.

I wound my way through the streets of town, the wind that carried me knocking over several recently built snowmen. "Anna!" I called. "Anna, where are you?" I flew up higher to get a better look, but there was no one in sight. However, I did find some sleigh tracks that had been left hours ago, I quickly followed the trail, stopping in terror when I realized where they led. She had disobeyed me. She had left. I started going after them again, but as if to spite me, it suddenly began snowing, hard and fast. I winced as each snowflake scraped my face. Every one of them appeared to be laced with the abrasive nightmare sand.

I landed and threw my arms up in front of my face for protection, trying to follow the tracks, but before I had gotten far, they had completely filled up. "Anna!" I tried, but it was no use. I fell to my knees in the painful snow, scared of losing her like I had lost Elsa. The fear was crippling, not helped by the combination of Pitch's and Elsa's magic that filled the air. Before long, I had to rush back inside, where Rapunzel was waiting on me with two of our servants, Kay and Gerda. She dismissed them when I came near.

"Well, you don't have to worry about her getting into trouble with that Kristoff boy," she assured me. "According to, well, everyone, they absolutely hate each other, but there is some bad news..."

"I know. She went up the North Mountain to find Elsa."

Rapunzel, still trying to stay positive, said, "Who knows? Anna might know what she's doing, and we might have them both back safe and sound before long." We both shared a long look, knowing that plan was a long shot. Her smile fell. "Or you could go out and find her and bring her back just to be safe."

I shook my head. "I would, but there's worse news." I held up a hand full of the snow outside and let it trickle to the floor so that she could clearly see the contrast of the black sand mixed inside of it. "Pitch knows."

**Pitch**

"Is everything alright?" Elsa asked innocently, once we were done sending out yet another storm, this time, directed just above the kingdom. It had served its purpose. I could feel Jack's pain once again. I relished in his fear. This truly was the perfect payback.

"Of course, my dear. Everything's wonderful," I purred, patting her head. "Only another training exercise, and you did marvelously. Your power has really grown." I could see the smile in her eyes at my approval, and I felt a strange sort of pride.

"Only because of you. You've shown me so much. I feel like I don't have to be afraid of my powers anymore." I gave a hardly noticeably twitch. That comment stung a bit. I recovered my smile as she continued to speak. "You're more of a father to me than anyone ever was." Again, the pleasure it gave me to hear those words come from her was nearly unmatched. Nearly. Just nearly.

I wanted to be alone for a minute to drink in what I could of Jack's fear. Soon, his other daughter would be ripped from him, as well, and the best part was that he knew it, too. He knew that he couldn't do anything about it. He was no match for me anymore. I was sure that I could beat him without Elsa now. I was finally past full strength and still growing stronger every minute that mine and Elsa's storms spread across the globe. I felt Jack's helplessness, and it was so much more satisfying than every other fear I conjured up in the lowly townspeople.

I turned my attention back to Elsa, thinking of an alibi to get rid of her for the moment. "Tomorrow, you're going to have a sort of test," I lied. Her face fell. "You should go to bed now to be rested and ready."

The girl nodded. "Goodnight," was all she said before walking away. I watched her as she left, thinking about the irony of her situation. She believed that she was growing up, finding her own place, but really, she was more of a child than ever, seeking my guidance and approval at every turn and playing with her magic at every opportunity, and I went on letting her believe this. The truth was, I had been watching her for many years now, and I knew everything. I knew that she never really had a childhood. She'd never had a chance to mature, even though she had to act like an adult at a young age. In a way, this was Elsa's chance at growing up, getting out and learning, but for now, she was still a child, and I needed that advantage over her for as long as I could exploit it.

I closed my eyes and leaned over the balcony railing once she had gone. I could almost hear the conversation Jack was having with his wife from the fear that was spreading like a disease from him to her. Oh, this was just too rich! Everything was going better than I could have hoped for. All I needed was for Anna to reach the palace, and Elsa's test would begin. I knew that Elsa didn't actually have control. Her control was an illusion, placed there by me. Anna's presence would quickly push her over the edge. I hoped that some happy accident would occur to Jack's sickeningly sweet younger daughter. Really, she was grating on my last nerve with all of that inextinguishable hope and love of hers.

After several minutes, I disappeared inside, slamming the doors behind me against the wind (not that I minded the harsh weather, of course). I wandered upstairs where I found Elsa already fast asleep, a sweet smile spread across her face. I wondered how on earth the Sandman could have reached her in this weather, for above her head was a golden vision of herself and Anna running about in a field of flowers. She really was an adorable girl, but there would be no good dreams tonight, and with the mere touch of my finger, the dream sand was corrupted and changed into a nightmare that I quickly drank in. Elsa moaned, and it began to snow lightly in her bedroom. "Goodnight," I murmured, stepping away and disappearing into the shadows.

**Anna**

It was snowing again, but I didn't really mind anymore. It was very late, and there was no sign of Dad, so I knew that my plan must have worked. I did, however, feel outrageously guilty about it, thinking about how worried he and Mom must be.

I was going to be in so much trouble.

Suddenly, Kristoff stopped the sleigh and hopped out. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! What are you doing? We're supposed to go to the top of the mountain, remember? We're only about halfway up."

"Sven needs to rest. We've been traveling for hours and making good time, if I do say so myself. I'm usually lucky to make it this high on a sunny day." He went about unhooking the reindeer. I tried to find some way to protest, but knowing anything I said was going to land me in the loony bin, I bit my lip, keeping my mouth shut. "We'll camp out here for tonight."

"Fine, but we leave at dawn."

"If you say so. Now, if you want to make yourself useful, I suggest you get out the tent, blankets, and fire materials from the back and start setting up camp. I'll cover the sleigh for tonight." I mocked him with my hand when I thought that he wasn't looking. " Unless you want to be killed Princess, I make the orders around here, got it?" I rolled my eyes but nevertheless did what he said.

**(More obsessive updating! Yay! I like this Pitch update better than the last one. I feel like so many questions are introduced here. Will Anna tell Kristoff her family's secret? Will Baby Tooth stay true to her promise even though she's loyal to Jack? Does Pitch actually care for Elsa a little, or is he really only using her for her fear and the fear she creates? All this and more will be answered as I continue the story, so stay tuned! And please review! Please!)**


	14. Chapter 14: Campfire Songs

**Anna**

The fire crackled and popped before me, and I removed my gloves and moved my hands closer. The night was unbelievably cold, but what else could I expect. I looked over and saw the ice salesman shiver, as well and knew that it must be getting worse if someone acclimated to this weather was reacting to it. The night was unnaturally cold. I had pulled up a log and was sitting on it with Baby Tooth on my knee while Kristoff leaned against his reindeer, sharing a carrot. I stuck out my tongue in disgust and proceeded to hand Baby Tooth a few crumbs of the bread that I had packed which she swallowed ravenously, chirping for more. I stroked her feathered little head, and it wasn't long before she drifted to sleep.

I was extremely tired myself, and as much as I wanted to turn in, the thought that I was so close to reaching Elsa had me very on edge. I was excited to see her, confidant that now there were no more secrets between us, and we could finally speak candidly with each other, but I was also scared. There was still the possibility of running into Pitch Black. I wish Dad had told me more about him. Without very much information about the bogeyman, I felt vulnerable. I caught myself jumping at every sound around us and staring into the darkness between the trees. I never saw what made those sounds, but would I even be able to see him? All of this kept messing with my mind.

Then, there was Elsa again. I still hated myself for saying it, but there was that doubt in my mind that I never really knew Elsa and that she may actually be evil or insane. She might not even want to see me.

I held on to the hope that she must miss me and that she was only misguided, her thoughts twisted by the darkness. She was my sister. There was no way that she could be bad.

Baby Tooth gave an annoyed squeak as Kristoff started playing some music that woke her up. Paying no mind to me, he began to sing. His voice actually wasn't that bad, but then he also started singing for his reindeer in such an awful voice that I threw my warmed hands to my ears to block it all out. Baby Tooth whined and hid back in my cloak. Again, Kristoff didn't seem to notice or care what I thought, so I managed to stay like that for the entirety of the song. When it was all over, I plastered on a smile to try and be nice. I still needed to get along with this guy for the rest of the trip. "Sooo...you play?" I laughed nervously.

He held up his guitar. "Yeah."

"That was, um, nice. Nice duet." Baby Tooth started squeaking unhappily underneath my cloak, obviously in disagreement.

"Thanks," he said insincerely.

"Your singing's...nice. I like singing."

"Really?" he asked, deadpan.

"Yeah." I suddenly got an idea. "How about we sing some songs together? It'll be like camp, I think."

"I've never been to camp."

"Neither have I. Mother wouldn't let me go. We would sit out in the courtyard at night sometimes, but that's about it."

"_Fun_."

"So, how about it?"

"You can sing what you like, but I won't sing along." Without another word, he settled back against Sven and started to play again. I sat and moped for a minute before I realized that I knew the song that he was playing. It was the same as the one from the celebration, and happily, I began to sing the lyrics that I had committed to memory after that time when Elsa had sang with me. I tried to remember every moment I'd had with Elsa, especially the good ones. The bittersweet feel of the song stayed with me even without her harmony, though, only because its absence made the song feel like it was missing something. I really hoped that she was alright. I wanted everything to be alright between us more than anything.

The song came to an end, but as I waited for the next one to start, Kristoff set down his guitar, and to my surprise, gave a short clap. "Brava, Princess," he said, sounding actually halfway-genuine. "You actually do have an okay voice. At least you have one thing going for you."

I laughed, not quite offended by his comment. I was realizing that this was just the way he was. "You're not so bad yourself." Again, thoughts started coming out of my mouth freely, without any control to them, even though I knew beforehand that he probably didn't care. "I sang that song on the last day of the celebration. Elsa came and joined me about halfway through and started singing harmony to it. Her voice is much lovelier than mine. You should have been there." I sighed at the memory. "The song just doesn't feel right without her voice. Isn't that crazy?"

"A little bit, yeah," he answered. I was taken aback by the fact he was actually listening. "I don't get it. Your sister keeps a huge secret from you and then attacks everyone, and you still want to go to her? Why?"

"Because she's my sister."

"That seems a little too simple, doesn't it?"

I bit my lip. He almost seemed to have a point there, but I wasn't about to give up so easily. "Well, think about your loved ones. Your family."

"I don't have any."

"Wait, what?"

"I'm an orphan," he said, a little harshness to his tone.

"Oh."

"And don't say you understand my 'pain,' or try to get me to talk about it. It's not going to work."

I threw up my hands defensively. In fact, I wasn't thinking of saying anything until he said that. Kristoff turned away and started playing again. I tried to think of something else to say, but when I had it, for once, I wasn't sure that I wanted to say it. I didn't want to offend him in any way that would make him turn the sleigh around and take me back. Baby Tooth, as if knowing what I was thinking, patted me in a reassuring way.

"I'm not going to say I completely understand it," I began. He snorted. "But I sort of get it, in a way. When I was younger, Elsa pretty much abandoned me very suddenly. You can figure out why, of course, but at the time, I didn't know. All I knew was that she was gone, and nobody would tell me why. I was lonely, scared, and sometimes I was very angry, but through all of that, I still knew that she was my sister. I remembered how we used to play and get along with each other, and I hoped that one of these days, she would return, but as you can see, I kind of blew it and ended up pushing her farther away, but I still want her back. Even though you never knew your family, even if you were mad or upset at them, wouldn't you trade anything to get them back?"

Kristoff gave a small nod.

"That's why I have to talk to her. I have to put things back the way they should be. It was my fault any of this happened in the first place. If I hadn't pushed her over the edge, she wouldn't have revealed her magic and run away with the bogeyman and - oops!" I clapped a hand over my mouth, having said too much. Baby Tooth face-palmed.

"Now, we're back to crazy-town. The bogeyman? Really? You believe all that?"

"Says the guy who was singing for his reindeer not ten minutes ago!" I countered. "And you'd be surprised what things actually exist out there."

"Well, how come I haven't seen them?"

"Because - and this is going to sound really cheesy - believing is seeing. You can't see something until you believe that it exists." Kristoff scoffed. "It's true! I mean, I've had a fairy on my shoulder this entire time, and you haven't even noticed." Baby Tooth scolded me loudly right in my ear.

"Oh, really?" he laughed. He was laughing at me. I could feel my face turning red with anger.

"Is it really all that hard to believe? I mean, my sister just kind of froze summer! You saw it!" He continued to laugh, and the reindeer almost seemed to laugh with him. I huffed and slumped over, defeated. At least he wasn't in a bad mood anymore.

It took a minute or two for him to calm down, and when he did, he asked, "What about your father, the king? You haven't really mentioned him at all. He's dead, yet you say he's watching."

"Actually, he's not really dead. Well, I think so. It's really complicated, and he hasn't completely explained everything yet. Also, I don't think he's watching us anymore, but he's probably freaking out about where I am. To be perfectly honest, I feel like something else is watching us right now, and I-" I stopped, partly due to the fact that I was getting some pretty weirded out looks from Kristoff and also because Baby Tooth had started pulling on my braids, trying to get me to shut up. I began swatting at her, which probably made me look even crazier in front of someone who couldn't see her.

"So, what you're trying to say is..." He trailed off, waiting for me to finish.

"What I'm trying to say is that I believe in him, so I know that he's there. Everyone else simply doesn't, but I guess I can't really blame them. For the longest time - until yesterday, in fact - I didn't believe in him, either, but the important thing is that I do now."

Kristoff gave a light laugh, but it wasn't mocking. It was more amused than anything. "You know, Princess, you really are insane," he said. I felt my cheeks burn. "But I think you're actually kind of smart underneath all of that." I smiled, feeling how genuine the compliment was.

"And you are really tough on the outside." (And smelly, annoying, and rude.) "But I think you're actually kind of sweet," I returned. "You can call me Anna, by the way."

Kristoff cleared his throat and stood up, and I half-wondered if he might be trying to hide a blush. I didn't think that he was the type of person to get compliments often. I had to hide a small giggle at his reaction. "I'm going to get some more firewood. Then, we should probably turn in for the night." I nodded and watched him go. I noticed that once he was gone, my cheeks still felt a little warm.

Baby Tooth noticed, too, and she flew in front of me to give me a very smug look. "Shut up. It's not like that." Even as I said that, though, I felt this odd, happy feeling rising up inside of me that made my heart beat a little bit faster at the mere suggestion of it. There was no BAM like I had expected, more of a subtle realization that I was falling for him. What horrible timing this was! I had to be focused on Elsa and getting her back, and now this? Just this morning, I had hated the guy! But now, I was thrilled at the thought that he was opening up to me. I liked hearing his laugh, even knowing that I was the cause of it.

I hid my thoughts from Baby Tooth and continued smiling, but she rolled her odd-colored eyes knowingly and snuggled under my hair with a chirp that seemed to say, _Wait 'til your father hears about this._

I smiled wider when he came back and threw plenty of wood into the fire. I let out a huge, involuntary yawn and quickly tried - and failed - to cover it up. "I guess I am a little tired," I chuckled, despite how much I wanted to search for Elsa. He laughed with me, and we all piled into the tent - me, him, Baby Tooth, and Sven. It was cramped, but at least it was nice and warm, if not a little bit stifling.

"Goodnight, Anna," he called from one side of the reindeer. I listened on the other side.

"Goodnight, Kristoff."

**(I felt like we needed some fluff. I didn't think we got very much in the movie. Big chapter coming up next! Please, review!)**


	15. Chapter 15: Greatest Fear

**Kristoff**

It was even colder when I woke up the next morning. I heard Anna shivering on the other side of Sven, though I couldn't see her. "Are you alright?" I called over to her.

"I'm fine, but poor Baby Tooth's wings are just about frozen."

"What?"

I heard Anna sigh and could imagine her rolling her eyes. "The fairy, remember?" she said matter-of-factly. I groaned inwardly.

"How long have you been awake?"

"I don't know. Maybe an hour or so. I don't think I really slept."

"Why didn't you go out and start a fire?"

"I can't. The tent flap is frozen shut." I moved to the opening and pushed, but no dice. The tent shifted, and Anna moved to be beside me and started pushing, as well. "See?"

"Sven," I called. The reindeer stuck his head up, and before I could even give a command, his massive antlers had already ripped the flap open. "Thanks."

Anna clapped her gloved hands together and scratched him on the head. "Such a good boy!"

"Hey, don't talk down to him!" I snapped, climbing out through the opening. Anna shrugged and followed me, Sven coming out right after her.

"Well, let's get started! Today's the day!" As she moved to hop into the sleigh, I held my arm out to stop her, and as she looked to see why, her jaw dropped, as did mine. The sleigh was completely frozen over. Anna moved closer and traced her hand carefully along the ice, studying something inside it that I couldn't quite see. To me, this ice was pure and perfect, and I should know. I would have made a killing off of it in town. Anna then bent down and picked up some snow at the base of the frozen sleigh and observed that just as carefully, before casting a concerned look over to something on her right. I couldn't quite understand her motions.

Finally, she turned to me and said, "I guess we go on foot from here." She started to walk off, but I held her back, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked, concerned for her safety. "I'm not sure that your sister wants to be found."

Anna waved her hand dismissively. "Nah, she's just had a bad dream. That's all. It happened when we were kids. She once froze our entire room solid in her sleep. This just means that we need to find her faster. Come on!" She broke away from my grasp and started to run off.

I turned to Sven. "This is weird. I don't like it."

"You know what's weird?" I spoke for Sven. "That a pretty girl is actually talking to you."

"Shut up." I pushed his large head away and ran over to help Anna up, since she had fallen in the snow almost immediately after leaving.

**Elsa**

I breathed in the crisp morning air, trying to clear my thoughts. I rubbed my hands against my sore eyes and brushed my hair back out of my face. I needed to regain control of my senses. The nightmare had come back. Well, it hadn't really left, but it seemed almost too real last night. I didn't quite understand it. Anna was far away from me. She was safe from me. I held onto that consolation.

As much as I hated the townspeople for doing this to me, Anna seemed to be my one exception. She was blameless. She had still run after me after knowing about my powers. She still cared. Dad had run after me, too, but most of this was his fault. He had taught me to fear my powers when ironically enough, they were his. A part of me wondered if he was just jealous at how strong I had gotten, but Anna had stayed with me until the very end. Anna still loved me when I shut her out, which was all the more reason to. She was too kind. I would hurt her if she got too close. Didn't she understand that?

I felt ashamed about this, but I knew that I hadn't let go of all of my fears. I was still afraid of hurting Anna, but I swore to myself that would never happen.

"Did you sleep well?" Pitch asked, suddenly manifesting behind me. I started. I could never seem to get used to that, and with the lack of sleep that I was having, I was quite a bit jumpy, but I would never let him know that.

Wishing that there was some way to hide the dark circles under my eyes, I turned to face him and said, "Fine. What test are you going to give me today?" I watched him eagerly. He moved over to the balcony edge next to me and appeared to be looking at something, but before I could follow his gaze, he turned and swiftly began walking away. I ran after, my heels clicking on the ice floor. The doors shut themselves behind me.

"It seems that we're going to have guests," he informed me, still walking. I rushed to keep up with him, but he remained several feet in front of me. We reached the doorway that lead to a staircase. Tired, I remained at the top while he continued to slink downwards.

"Wait, what?" I looked down at my hands. Were people really that stupid?

"Don't worry," he crooned. "I know you can handle this one." In the blink of an eye, his slender figure became a shadow on the wall that quickly disappeared down the stairs.

"Pitch, wait!" I called, racing after him, but about halfway down, I gave up. He believed in me. I would be just fine. I sat down where I was and watched the door intently.

**Anna**

I was practically skipping as we made our way to the castle (I couldn't really, though, not in the knee deep snow). I could see it now, rising high above us, sparkling in the morning sunlight. The clouds had cleared for short periods of time, which made our traveling much easier. I stayed by Kristoff's side the entire way, watching his expressions, trying to read what he might be thinking. The curiosity was overwhelming, but every time I got too close, Baby Tooth would pull me away by my braid, probably squeaking something about my Dad. She made such a racket that I was surprised at how Kristoff seemed completely deaf to it.

I wondered what it might look like to him if we did run into Pitch. (Heck, I didn't even know what it would look like to me. I'd never actually seen him before.) He seemed completely blind to the dark specks mixed in with the powder. As we grew closer to the palace, the specks became more and more frequent until they formed swirling patterns in the snow. Kristoff did, however, marvel at the oversized snowflakes that lined the path, casting rainbows at our feet as the fitful sunlight shone through them. The black sand was still there, though, growing like mold in their shadows.

We approached a part of the path that was mostly blocked by icy spikes pointing every direction. We had to tread very carefully to avoid touching them. The black sand was there, too, lining the tips of the giant icicles. I could imagine what the spikes could do to a person - I went cross-eyed trying to focus on their tiny, sharp tips - but the black sand was still a mystery to me, and I wasn't sure that I even wanted to know what it was or what it did. I was inexplicably afraid of it.

Finally, we came to a sheer cliff that the castle was perched on top of. I had to crane my neck to even see it. "Well, what now?" I asked Kristoff, who was also straining to look.

"Nothing," he answered, to my great disappointment.

"Wait, what?"

"There's just no way. We have to go back."

"You mean to tell me that we came all this way for nothing? Can't we climb it?"

"If you have a death wish. All of our climbing gear was on the sleigh, and it's frozen solid."

"Well, I guess I have a death wish." I ran straight to the cliff and started climbing slowly. It was very slippery, and anywhere I tried to step seemed to fall apart. I was completely inexperienced at this, and Kristoff's commentary on my meager skills didn't really help my self-esteem, neither did Baby Tooth frantically buzzing around my head.

"Don't grab there - or step there! You really do have a death wish! You drag me up here in this weather to antagonize your crazy sister, and now you-"

"She's not crazy, and I'm not antagonizing her!" I grunted, reaching for another handhold.

"Really? I think she's made it very clear that she wants to be alone."

"I'm not listening! La la la!"

"And did you see those spikes back there? We could have been impaled!"

"But we weren't!"

"Anna, aren't you listening? You're going to get hurt!"

"Yeah? Well, you're going to get hurt if you don't shut up and let me climb!" I warned, out of breath from all of the effort. "Now, make yourself useful and tell me if I'm close to the top." I didn't dare look down to see myself.

"You're not," he replied, deadpan.

I groaned. "Am I at least close?"

"You're five feet above the ground." I leaned my head on a rock. There was just no way.

"How did Elsa do this?" I gasped to myself.

"Hey, that's kind of impressive since you're wearing a dress and all. I'll give you that." Kristoff shrugged.

I made a face down at him when Baby Tooth flew back over to me. I noticed that her freaking out had been missing for the past few seconds. She tugged on one of my braids and pointed at something blocked by the cliff face. "Baby Tooth says she sees something!" I called down to him.

"Ummm..."

"Catch me!" I threw myself off of the cliff face, and he caught me, albeit looking a bit confused the entire time. I laughed, half because of the hilarious expression on his face and also because of the fun of it all. "That was like some crazy trust exercise!" I remembered saying pretty much the same thing to Dad when he had caught me, when I had learned to truly trust and believe in him. I stared at Kristoff curiously, and he stared back. I could trust him. An annoyed squeak from Baby Tooth brought me back to reality, and I realized how long we had been like this. I blushed and chuckled nervously. "Um, you can put me down now."

"Oh!" Looking just as embarrassed, he set me down gently. I brushed myself off and fixed my hair, not daring to look straight at him. I had actually gotten lost in his eyes. Oh, the romance of it all made me want to scream! But I had to stay focused. Baby Tooth started pulling me away.

"This way!" I called to him, racing after the fairy. I stopped suddenly. A crystal staircase quickly came into view, gleaming in the sunlight. It was now midday. "So that's how." I ran to the stairs but quickly found that it was near impossible to move upward fast. My boots kept slipping on the ice. Below me, I heard quite a commotion. Sven appeared to not be capable of climbing the stairs on his own, and Kristoff was behind him, trying to push. "It's not going to work!" I said, watching as Sven's bulk broke off part of the handrail and black sand streamed from the crack. Looking down at my feet, I could see more tendrils of the black sand gathered within the ice, and below that was a sheer drop down the backside of the mountain.

Kristoff looked between me and his reindeer and shrugged. "Sorry, buddy. Nothing I can do." Sven almost appeared to frown, but Kristoff patted him on the head between the antlers and followed me anyway. The concentration of the black sand kept increasing, and by the time we reached the top, there almost seemed to be more of it than snow on the ground. Kristoff still didn't notice and continued to gape at the "perfect" ice structure before us. I placed my hand on the patterned door and shuddered, both from the cold and from the ominous feeling the palace seemed to give off, and for the first time really since this trip began, I was almost terrified.

"What am I doing here?" I said to myself. I didn't understand these sudden doubts or fears, but I took a deep breath and braced myself; I needed to face them. I needed to see my sister no matter what.

Beside me, Kristoff gazed in awe. "I think I might cry," he admitted.

"Go ahead. I won't judge." I was equally impressed with the ice castle. It was so beautiful and majestic, and as hard as it was to believe that my own sister could do all of this, I felt like it matched her in every way - except for the sand, which almost seemed to writhe and twist beneath the ice. I took my hand away and turned to Kristoff. "I'm going in. You stay out here."

"Aw, what? I'm coming in with you. What if you get hurt?" I raised a disbelieving eyebrow. Even though in the past he had expressed concerns for my safety - which was so sweet and adorable - he hadn't even looked at me once when he spoke.

"Really?"

"Okay, okay," he confessed. "But can you blame me? Ice is my life!"

"Well, you can enjoy it from here. Just give me a minute alone with her? I don't need her freaking out any more. Just one minute." Kristoff huffed and sat down in the snow. "Such a good boy!" I teased before turning around. As I pushed through the palace doors, I heard him begin to count.

"One, two, three..."

**Elsa**

I heard the door open, and I stood up, my hand sparking angrily, ready to ward off whoever came through. Ready, aim...

"Elsa?" called an all-too-familiar voice. I gasped and backed away to the wall. No. This couldn't be happening. Why would Pitch leave me all alone with this?

Tentatively, I approached the handrail, and sure enough, as I looked over, Anna was standing alone in the main room, her mouth hanging open in awe as she twirled around, taking in the greatness of my castle. It was pretty impressive, if I did say so myself. In her wonder, it almost seemed as if she had forgotten about me entirely. I could just slip away, but before I could control it, one word slipped out. "Anna?" I gripped the handrail nervously, watching as fern-like frost patterns spread down its entire length. How could I be losing control so fast? Everything had been going great!

Anna stopped her gaping and spun around to face me. There was confusion in her eyes for a moment, but she blinked a few times and said, "Elsa? Is that...is it really you? You look different...beautiful."

I self-consciously looked down at my dress and smoothed my braid. I guess I did look a bit unusual to her, but what did she know? She had never really seen the real me, but she didn't seem to care about that. I cleared my throat. "What are you doing here?" I asked, maybe a little too harshly.

Anna flinched. "I came to see you."

I had to do something. I had to turn her away. "Well, you've seen. Now, leave," I commanded, hurrying back upstairs. To my dismay, I heard fast footprints following me.

"Wait, Elsa! Don't shut me out again! There's more!" Anna followed me into the room that led out onto the balcony. She was just too stubborn. "I came to apologize."

"What do you mean?" This had caught my attention. What on earth could she apologize for? I didn't blame her for anything, but if she didn't leave soon...

"This is all my fault. If I hadn't pushed you too far at the-"

"No, Anna. No..."

"No, it's true! At the ball, I didn't give you back your glove when you asked for it, and when we were kids I forced you to keep playing even though-"

"Wait, what? How do you-?"

"Remember? Oh, I got my memories back from the Tooth Fairy," she explained. As she spoke, a little fairy flew out from behind her and looked me in the eye curiously. She flitted about my head, almost seeming to study me. "This is Baby Tooth."

"Dad took you to the tooth palace?" I asked, crestfallen. He had always told me such wonderful stories about the place when I was younger.

"Yeah! It's so beautiful! You can't even imagine!" Then, seeing my expression, she asked, "Did he never take you?"

"No," I answered bitterly, turning my back to Anna.

"Well, I'm sure he'd love to take you when you come back! After you unfreeze everything, of course. You actually froze the tooth palace, too."

"Anna, what are you talking about?"

"The tooth palace, frozen, your powers, whole world in danger, yadda yadda yadda..."

"No, Anna, before that. What makes you think that I'm going back?"

"Well, I just thought if I apologized, then we might be able to clear up this misunderstanding and-"

"I am never going back." I turned back around. Anna looked absolutely crushed, and I almost hated myself for saying it, but it had to be said. "You don't understand, Anna. Will you leave now?"

Anna's face grew determined again, and I began to hate her stubbornness. I could feel the magic pulsing in my fingertips, and I held them in tight fists, trying to prevent any accidents. "Elsa, I want to understand. Please, don't shut me out again."

"Fine, you want to understand?" My anger was bubbling over the top at her. Why couldn't she just do what she was told? "For the first time in forever, I'm finally free! I can finally be myself and I don't want you or anyone else ruining that!"

"Elsa, you're isolated on a mountain with the bogeyman!" Before I could comment, she explained, "Yes, I know about Pitch, too. Mom and Dad told me everything. Elsa, you're not free. You're still trapped by fear. Don't you realize that?"

"I'm not afraid, Anna! I wanted this!" I was literally trembling with emotion and with the effort it was taking to keep my powers back. Nevertheless, it had started to snow a little inside the room. I was losing control.

"Anna, are you seeing this?" asked a new voice coming up the stairs. We both watched as a strong, blonde-haired man appeared in the doorway.

"Who is that?" I asked frantically, pointing at the door. A blast of magic escaped and just barely missed him, hitting the door and blocking his path with giant icicles. Anna and I both screamed, and I drew my hand back suddenly.

"That's just the ice salesman in town. He took me up here. Please, Elsa, calm down!"

"Anna, you're not safe here!" I warned, backing away from her. She only advanced further.

"Elsa, don't worry about protecting me! I'm not afraid!"

"You should be!" I screamed over the wind. The snow had turned into a miniature blizzard. Anna kept coming. "Anna, I want to be alone!"

"You don't have to live in fear anymore!"

"I AM NOT AFRAID!" I shrieked. All control was lost. I didn't quite understand what happened, but it seemed as if the blizzard was suddenly sucked inside of me, and then painfully released as several bursts of icy magic. I watched in horror as one hit Anna squarely in the chest and she fell to her hands and knees. I felt cold tears on my cheeks as I watched her, noticing how painfully still she was.

"Anna!" me and the ice salesman cried out. Then, she began to stir. Slowly, she stood up, appearing fine if not a little bit shaken. I would have breathed a sigh of relief if she didn't come wobbling my way again. It was almost like some horror story - the monster being my sister that refused to give up.

"Elsa, please," she begged in a broken voice.

I had failed. I gave up. I couldn't. I fell to my knees, clutching my head. "Pitch!" I cried.

"No, Elsa!" I shut my eyes tight as I heard Anna scream in terror.

**Anna**

I started to approach her, hand outstretched. Then, all around me, the black sand that lined the castle seemed to swirl and grow bigger, finally bursting up through the ice in a dark, menacing cloud right in front of my sister. Baby Tooth squeaked and hid behind me. I screamed and started backing away, knowing that I was in for some trouble. I slipped and fell on my back while trying to get away.

The sand morphed into a figure, and suddenly manifested before me was the bogeyman himself. Pitch Black. He was too slender, almost appearing skeletal. His skin was a dull gray that blended in with the blackness of his cloak. His eyes were an awful shade of yellow that seemed to give off a cold glow, and he gave me a taunting, crooked smile. Behind him, his shadow grew to unreal proportions, completely covering up Elsa in an almost twisted, protective sort of way.

"Boo!"

I screamed louder and continued to scramble back towards Kristoff, who only looked around frantically, trying to find the source of the terror. The icicles between us shattered, and the staircase suddenly formed into a slippery slide that brought us both away from the room. "Not just a monster under your bed, Anna!" I heard him call out behind us. The slide took us out the doors and down the outside staircase, where we both ran into Sven, who had been waiting for us down below.

"We have to get out of here!" I told them, taking Kristoff by the hand and leading him away from the castle.

"Wait, Anna!" We stopped, only because he was stronger than me. "What happened back there?"

"How could you not see that?" I cried in distress. The monster in my dreams had Elsa. I was terrified.

"Anna, are you alright?"

"No!" I gasped for breath.

"Anna, I need you to calm down, and let's think rationally. Why did you - whoa!"

"What?"

"Your hair!"

"Is right now really the time for that?"

"No, look!" He yanked on one of my braids and held it to my face just in time for me to see another white streak travel down it. I knew that it was because of Elsa's magic, but my thoughts were all scattered about at the time, and I couldn't outright tell him just yet.

"Does it look bad?"

Kristoff was not amused. "We need to get you back home."

**Elsa**

Pitch turned to look at me. He didn't have to speak. The anger and disappointment in his eyes said it all. I had failed. I was very, very afraid. I could have hurt Anna. I could have killed her! I cried harder, my tears freezing painfully on my cheeks. Pitch stood beside me while I cried and grappled with my fear, and oddly enough, his presence was less than comforting.

**(Whoo! Big chapter! Hope you guys enjoyed it! We'll be heading towards the climax from here on out, so just for fun, how about a little trivia about the chapters I've written so far that you may or may not care about. One Day More was a Les Mis reference, duh. The chapter name This Is Why was inspired by a moment in the book Ms. Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children, in which our hero goes through his grandpa's ex-girlfriend's letters to him and finds one that asks why he hasn't come back to her, and he sends back a photo of him with his daughter that says, "This is why." In The Ice Guy, I happened to be watching The Santa Clause 3 at the time, and I desperately wanted Jack to scream "I INVENTED CHILL!" in Anna's face, but I didn't. That's all for now. The next chapter's working title will be Baby Tooth's Mission, so have fun trying to figure that out. I love hearing your theories and comments, so please review!)**


	16. Chapter 16: Baby Tooth's Mission

**Baby Tooth**

The entire thing had been a disaster in my eyes. Anna never should have gone. I should have flown straight to Jack when I knew of her plan, but my curiosity overwhelmed me, I guess. I really did want to meet Jack's other daughter, the one who looked very similar to him. (Although, I never got a chance to see if her teeth were as white. She had spent the entire event frowning.)

Then, there was also the matter of Pitch. I could have left at any time after just hearing his name, but for some reason, I stayed. Maybe I just wanted to be sure. I might have heard the name wrong, and if I reported that, what a mess I would be in!

Well, the reasons why I went along with this stupid plan didn't matter now. I'd seen Jack's daughters. I'd seen Pitch Black (and his dreadful teeth). There was nothing I could do to change what happened.

Actually, being my height and being often ignored, I wasn't quite sure exactly what happened or why. I huddled under Anna's braid and thought very hard to get my story straight. Anna - the fun one, like Jack - went to see her sister with a guy she didn't really know but liked. Elsa - the sister who looked very much like Jack - wasn't very happy about it. I didn't know the exact reason why, but from the sounds of things, it seemed like they'd had an argument, and Anna was trying to apologize. She had told me before that it was all her fault. Anna seemed very sincere about it all, so why on earth wouldn't Elsa accept the apology? The whole situation seemed so simple and yet so complicated.

The events that happened afterward occurred so quickly that I had almost no hope of figuring them out. Elsa had attacked Anna, or so it seemed. Anna appeared to be alright after being struck. Then, she had called upon Pitch for whatever reason, and he had come to her aid and attacked Anna again. (At this point, I was hiding in her cloak out of fear.) The next thing I knew, we were moving very quickly, and then, we had crashed into the reindeer. I remembered squealing my disappointment; the fall had wrinkled one of my wings, and I was very particular about how smooth I liked them. (Curse you, Pitch Black!)

I turned my head and began fixing it when Anna and Kristoff began talking again - arguing, really, but I was getting used to that. Suddenly, the braid that I sat next to began to change color. Turning from red to as white as the freshly fallen snow in a matter of seconds. Kristoff noticed and showed Anna. I finished smoothing my wing and flew up to the top of her head to get a look. I squeaked in surprise. I remembered her having a white streak in her hair before, but now there were several sprouting from her roots. If I looked very closely, I could watch a strand or two slowly change, starting at her scalp and finishing at the end of one of her braids. I didn't know what exactly it meant, but judging from the horrified look on Anna's face, it had to be bad.

Anna opened her mouth, Kristoff and I leaned in to listen to her explanation, and she said, "Does it look bad?" I face-palmed. Only Anna.

Kristoff began leading us down the side of the mountain, but I knew that my job there was done for now. I flew over to Anna's ear and told her I was leaving, but she gave me a puzzled look. I reminded myself that she had yet to completely understand me and flew up to her face to pantomime a few things. "Get back to Jack," I said, pointing down to the kingdom. Then, I pointed to Kristoff and glared at him intently, even though he couldn't see it. "He better protect you...or else." I punched my palm. Finally, I waved goodbye and began to fly away, leaving behind a disappointed - and rather confused - Anna.

The wind had gotten stronger, and it was snowing again. The snowflakes were as big as me! I regretted how I wasn't quite as strong as Jack and that I couldn't fly high enough to get above the clouds like he could (well, not without help). I was able to find my bearings and began the long journey to the palace, knowing that I would have to fight my way through this weather the entire way. It was almost enough to make one want to give up. On top of all of this, I felt weaker than normal. It could be from all of the excitement from the adventure I'd just had. It could be that I'd hit my wing harder than I thought. It could have been anything, but somehow I knew that it wasn't.

The weakness came from inside, as if my spirit had been cooled just a little. I had felt it before. Somehow or another, a good many children had stopped believing. I knew it had something to do with all of this, with Elsa and the storm and Pitch. I pushed on harder, knowing that I needed to reach the palace soon before I lost too much energy. I forced myself higher and higher where the wind blew stronger until just my snow-covered head pushed through the clouds. I was much too tired to go any higher, and it was torture just to keep myself aloft. I took in deep breaths that weren't inhibited by powder flying in my face and prepared to head back down when suddenly, the already bright sky was illuminated further with a rainbow light. The odd northern lights that North used as a signal to the Guardians.

I wanted to cry with happiness. I'd had to study world maps for years, and I knew for a fact that Jack's kingdom was much, much closer to the North Pole than home. I changed my course and followed the lights with renewed zeal. I would be late for the meeting, but Mother - as I liked to refer to the Tooth Fairy as - would be there, and I would be safe. I could report back to her all that I had learned.

It was always snowing up at the Pole, but it was practically a blizzard when I got there over two hours later. The snow had slowed me down quite a bit, and I was so exhausted from the flight that I knew my report to mother was going to be delayed by a long nap by North's enormous fireplace. The workshop was enormous, appearing bigger on the inside than from the outside because of how it was built into the side of a mountain. Taking the front entrance was not really an option. I was much too small and weak to lift the heavy wooden doors. I knew that there was a small hatch on the roof, but to my great disappointment, it was shut tight against the storm. I kicked against it in my anger. I did not just fly this far in a snowstorm to be locked out!

I flew over to a great window on one of the higher levels of the structure. I looked inside and saw the great room where the Guardians always gathered. They were all there: North, Bunny, Sandy, and Mother with her usual train of attendees...and what looked to be every single one of my sisters. Had the storm at the palace gotten that bad? North was gesturing to the globe, where even through the frosted glass, I could see lights flickering out. There appeared to be a great dark spot where Jack's kingdom was, and it continued expanding in a circle, extinguishing every light in its destructive path. The storm was expanding. Aside from the spot, many lights burned out all over the globe, and I winced as if I could feel every one of them.

I needed to get inside. My wings were going to freeze solid if I stayed out in the storm. I flew against the glass repeatedly, squealing as loud as I could over the howling wind. Finally, Sandman saw me, and he gestured over to North, who promptly ignored him. A few unnoticed and frantic sand signals later, Sandy gave up and flew to the window himself, where I had to wait several more minutes while he struggled with the latch. The event annoyed me so much that I gave myself a reminder to peck the living daylights out of whoever was in reach just to get rid of my frustration. I never got the chance, though. As soon as the window flew open, I raced inside only to drop from exhaustion in the middle of the floor. Sandy gently cupped me in his hands as the others turned around and berated him for being so stupid and opening the windows.

North strode over and slammed them shut while Sandy rushed over and handed me off to Mother. "Oh, thank goodness! You're alright!" she cried happily, hugging me to her. I gave her a slurred, reassuring squeak before curling up in her hands, eyes hanging heavy. I was so very tired, and it was so very warm inside. She petted my crest and flew over to the fireplace to warm me. North barked something to the yetis that I didn't really catch before I blacked out.

It couldn't have been long before I woke up again, but I seriously regretted it. In my sleep, I had been given a plush doll bed that sat next to the fire, and I wanted nothing more than to curl back up and close my eyes again, but Mother's voice kept me awake.

"This storm has even reached the palace! My fairies can't fly through it, and all of the teeth canisters are frozen shut!" she fretted. There was a moment of silence where I later figured out was Sandy speaking. None of them had yet noticed that I was awake.

North spoke next. "The storm originates here, but isn't that..."

"That's where I last saw Jack!" Bunny yelled. "A few Easters ago, I saw him out with a little girl in the castle, a red-head."

Mother opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by North. "That would probably be little Princess Anna."

"It's not the first time I'd seen him there," Bunny continued. "I used to see him every springtime there. It seems he's set up camp somewhere besides Burgess, but I haven't seen him at all in such a long time. He's been avoiding us."

Again, North interrupted Mother. I was getting very angry about that, but I needed to stretch my wings. They were too sore and stiff for any movement. "Well, we need to find Jack. Make him stop this. This is too far for him."

"But I already told you it's not Jack!" Mother blurted out.

"Then, where is he? Why isn't he here?" asked Bunny.

"We all had a hard time getting here. He's probably just unable to make it." Mother didn't look them directly in the eye when she spoke, and I wondered why she just wouldn't tell them the truth. They still hadn't seen me yet, but before I could add my input, North spoke. He spoke so loud and so often that I sometimes wondered if he just liked his own voice, or maybe as leader of the Guardians, he was intent on dominating every conversation.

"The evidence is overwhelming," he said gently to Tooth, sensing her discomfort. "If not Jack, then who?"

"I...I'm not quite sure," she stammered. "He...he said...he said something about-"

"Wait a second. You spoke to him? When? Where did you find him?" Bunny questioned in disbelief.

Mother bit her lip and smoothed back her crest nervously. I noticed that a few feathers came out in her hands. "H...he found me, actually, and..." She trailed off.

"Tooth?" said North. "What's up?"

She sighed, and the stutter went away, but I could see how unhappy she was with everything. "It's just that I feel like it's not my story to tell. It's all quite strange, really. He came to the tooth palace just the other day, and I saw..." She hesitated on the next part. "I saw his daughter."

I watched the shock register on everyone's faces. Bunny looked somewhere between scared and angry, Sandy was miming several questions at once with his dream sand, and North looked disturbed and deep in thought. "I think..." he said after a long moment. "I think we all sort of knew." Everyone nodded with him and turned back to Mother for further explanation.

"He has two daughters, both of them princesses, as you've figured out. I met Anna, the younger one that Bunny talked about."

"The older one is Elsa. Very good girl. Always on nice list," North interjected.

"They came for Anna's memories, but Jack never explained why. He did, however, mention a few things about Pitch.

"Pitch is back?" everyone seemed to say at once.

"I don't know. They got what they needed and then it started snowing. Jack mentioned the bogeyman again to Anna, and they flew off without saying anything else," she explained. "Naturally, I was concerned, so I sent Baby Tooth after him to figure out what was going on." Everyone suddenly looked at me, and I realized that was my cue. I stretched one last time before flying over to Mother. The Guardians all stared expectantly, so I dramatically cleared my throat before relaying all that I had learned starting from my very first moments in the kingdom, and Mother translated it for everyone else.

"Jack is married to Queen Rapunzel. She has about one hundred feet of hair that can heal magically. Jack told Anna not to go out to see Elsa, who had run away recently, but Anna went on ahead anyway, recruiting an ice salesman to take her up the mountain. The storm is worse in the kingdom, and it was caused by Elsa - yes, Sandy, she's the one with Jack's powers - when Anna accidentally freaked her out at a party that happened recently. Apparently, Elsa has been hiding her powers for years from everyone, and Anna didn't even know about it until it happened. Anna tried to talk to her sister, but she wouldn't listen and attacked her, and Elsa is...no, you can't be serious. Baby Tooth, that is not something we joke about!"

"What?" The other Guardians leaned in closer out of curiosity, like children at story time.

"She says...she says that Elsa is teamed up with Pitch Black." There was a collective gasp.

"That cannot be! Fetch me the naughty list!" North barked to the yetis.

"So that's why he's been hiding from us. His daughter is just a bad egg. He's embarrassed!" Bunny huffed.

North was checking over the list. Once. Twice. He looked very distressed and only nodded, seeming to confirm it all.

"Guys! Guys! Can we all calm down for a second?" Mother said, but she wasn't very calm herself. A few more feathers shook loose. I had to think of something to say.

I remembered Elsa's face when she had lashed out. "I am not afraid," she had claimed, but I knew it had to be a lie. There was nothing but fear in her icy blue eyes. They were Jack's eyes, and I knew how to read them well. She was scared. She was in pain.

That's when it all fell into place for me. Elsa was being manipulated by Pitch! Whatever control she thought she had over the situation, it was all a carefully crafted lie. She was as much a victim as everyone else. I explained this to Mother, who told everyone else. They caught on immediately and started thinking rationally. North summed it up nicely.

"So, Pitch uses Elsa for ice powers. The kingdom becomes afraid of her, which works out well for him. Both grow stronger. Storm grows. Fairies can't fly through the storm to get to children, and neither can Sandy. Children stop believing. We get weaker while Pitch gets stronger. Storm keeps growing until all is cold and dark, just like he wants." We all nodded. Everything made sense, except one thing. "And Jack wouldn't ask our help because..." North tapped his head in thought.

"I think he was just kind of scared of what we'll say about all of this," Mother finished.

"Well, what on earth made him think about having a family?" Bunny added harshly. "I mean, he knows that he can't spend eternity with them. Let's all face the facts here. They're going to die, and he's going to spend the rest of his life mourning. This is the guardian of fun we're talking about! How could he be so stupid!"

"Bunny!" Mother snapped.

North stepped in between before an argument to develop. "Bunny has point. We are what we are, but now is not time to dwell on this. The children of the world are in danger from Pitch again, and it is our job to stop him. I will prepare sleigh."

"Whoa! Hold on, mate! I don't think..." North and Bunny traveled down the hall, arguing about which way was better to reach the kingdom: the sleigh or the tunnels.

"Poor Jack," Mother sighed, sounding more depressed than I had heard her in ages. I knew that she cared for Jack deeply. Seeing him hurt like this made my heart heavy, as well. Pitch had truly crossed the line this time. He had threatened Jack's family, something that I knew he had longed for through all the years. This was worse than any time he had chased me or creased my wings. This was more personal. I hadn't thought Pitch could sink any lower. "Oh-no!" Mother's cry brought me out of my anger before renewing it, flaming worse than before. Several feathers fluttered to the ground beneath her, and she glanced over at the disappearing lights on the globe in fear.

Mother set me down and chased after the other Guardians. "Guys, you might want to hurry it up a bit!" she called out. As soon as she was gone, I was swarmed by all of my sisters, starved for news of Jack Frost after so long without a word. I felt like I might drown under all of their violet stares when all I really wanted to do was sleep, but I couldn't sleep. My job wasn't over. Jack had trusted me not long ago to keep Anna safe, and though it would require yet another fight through the worsening storm, I knew that my mission wasn't quite over yet. I let out one last yawn and pushed through my sisters, and suddenly, I was off like a rocket, winding my way through the workshop and finding an exit through the sleigh tunnels.

The wind threatened to blow me away, but I pushed on. One job accomplished, one more to go. I flew blind through the snow. I flew to Anna. I flew for Jack.

**(I finally got around to writing this. I was taking a bit of a break for the holidays, but here's what Baby Tooth has been up to. Now the Guardians are involved. Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews, and please keep them up! Seriously, the more you review, the more I want to write, so I guess if you really hate this fic you just don't review...okay. Speaking of reviewers, someone asked where Eugene was. Well, this is an alternate universe fic, so as far as I care, Eugene just doesn't exist here, and Corona and Arendelle are the same place. Jack found Rapunzel instead, okay? I'm just going to go along with this. Merry Christmas and - on the off chance I don't get around to updating soon - Happy New Year!)**


	17. Chapter 17: A Misunderstanding

**Kristoff**

"I just don't understand," Anna sighed after a long, unusual bout of silence. We had stopped to rest in what appeared to be a garden made entirely out of ice. Well, I had stopped to gawk at the purity of everything. She followed me around, silently pouting, like a pathetic, lost puppy. She had been quiet like that ever since we'd left the ice palace, and eventually, I'd had to stop looking at her. She was one of those people who had the most pitiful puppy-dog-pout faces that broke your heart to see, and I just couldn't stand it! I had been marveling had some pristine ice roses when she spoke, and I whirled around, a bit startled by the suddenness of it after all of the peace and quiet.

"You don't understand?" I asked incredulously. "If you don't understand, then what hope do I have?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean?"

"Yes. Is there an echo out here?"

"I mean that your sister has frozen the world, you drag me on this mission to speak with her because you say that it's all your fault, then you run away, not because she attacked you, but because of some invisible bogeyman, and all this time, you're the only one who seems to know what's going on here, but you won't even give me a straight answer! Now, you tell me that you don't understand, so how on this freezing earth am I supposed to?" I realized that I was shouting, but I didn't care. We were all alone up on the mountain except for Sven, and he was busy getting his antlers tangled in some ice beads that hung from the trees. There was no one up there to scold me for raising my voice at royalty, except, of course, the princess herself.

"I've told you everything that I know about what happened! Honest!" she snapped. Her voice sounded weak and drained.

"Oh, so I'm supposed to believe that your sister hangs out with the bogeyman?"

"Yes! Wait, no...ugh! That's the part that I don't understand!" Anna threw her arms up dramatically in her frustration.

"Because he's not real?"

Anna shoved me weakly. "He is very real! I saw him with my own two eyes! I'm not crazy!"

I raised an eyebrow. "That's debatable."

"Will you just shut up about things you don't understand?"

"Now, I know you're crazy!"

"How come?"

"Because you're starting to sound like that witch!"

I hadn't expected what happened next at all. On moment, I was staring straight into Anna's face. The next, her fist was connecting with mine. Another thing I hadn't expected was how badly it hurt, even through her fluffy mittens. The blow actually sent me stumbling back a few steps, crushing a rose or two, but I didn't have time to mourn the loss of such icy perfection before Anna spoke again. "Don't _ever_ call her that," she snarled. Despite the threat, she sounded very out of breath from that one action, and I hated myself for it, but I caught myself worrying about her health.

I regained my composure and found enough voice to say, "Why not?"

Anna looked like she wanted to hit me again, but she restrained herself, and when she answered me, her voice shook and broke with emotion. "Because she's not! She's not a witch, and she's not crazy! So...so I don't under...understand why she...she would go and...oh, I'm the worst sister ever!" She suddenly dropped down to her knees in the snow and buried her face in her hands. She appeared to be crying, and I was pulled into the awkward position of comforting her. I couldn't just stand there. Each sob felt like another blow, so reluctantly, I knelt down next to her and tentatively patted her shoulder. I really had no idea what I was doing.

"Uh...there, there..." Another sob. Why was I so bad at this? "Look, I, uh..." Why did I even care? "I'm sorry, okay? I...I shouldn't have said that. That was crossing the line." No response. This whole adventure had been her idea...that I had gone along with...and it hadn't been so bad...up until now, of course. Her crying was probably the most pitiful thing I'd ever heard. I wanted it to stop. I needed it to stop.

"Hey, you're not a bad sister," I tried. "If anything, Elsa doesn't seem like she's been a very good sibling, based on what you told me. I mean, she ignored you for, like, thirteen years. No one can blame you for not know that she was...ah...like this."

Anna sniffled and finally looked up. I couldn't decide which was worse: her crying or her looking at me pathetically with a tear-stained face. I just couldn't win here! "She did that to protect me," she said, her voice wavering from crying. "She said that she'd wanted all of this to happen. She said that she wanted to have everyone fear her, but she's spent her entire life hiding, trying to protect everyone. It doesn't make sense. I think she got tired of being cooped up and wanted to be free, but I think something - someone, in this case, but you still refuse to believe - has twisted that desire into this." She gestured to, well, everywhere.

I could have made a remark about how being crazy tends to do that to people, but I wasn't too keen on the thought of getting punched again, so I managed to keep my mouth shut.

"But she's not free. Sure, she uses her powers now, but I think she's still just as afraid as ever. She's trapped by her fear, but she doesn't see it. She's being manipulated. I just know it!"

"By the bogeyman," I said. Though my tone was mocking, I tried to keep it light. No more crying. No more punching.

She glared at me nonetheless. "He goes by Pitch, you know. Pitch Black."

"Ah, funny," I laughed, rolling my eyes.

"I wasn't joking," she said, deadpan.

"I know." I smiled, and to my surprise, it seemed to spread to her, too, and she suddenly started laughing.

"It is funny, isn't it?" she giggled. I decided that I liked her laugh quite a lot, especially compared to her crying. I helped her up out of the snow, and we started walking again. There were plenty of roses along the way. Elsa seemed to be fond of them. Anna, I noticed, loved them, as well. She tried to pluck a few of them, but they were too fragile to be moved. I almost wanted to try my own luck with them.

Sven joined us eventually, having finally yanked free from the trees, but not without a new crown of icy beads gracing his antlers. Anna and I nearly died laughing at the sight of him while he simply tilted his head quizzically. We laughed harder. When we finally quit, we were wiping tears from our eyes and gasping for breath. Then, something caught Anna's eye on the trail, and she ran on ahead. I stayed behind to help Sven get untangled. "The royalty in this kingdom. A strange bunch, huh," I said while I worked.

"Must be. You were so distracted by her that you were completely ignoring me," Sven replied, not sounding very jealous, though. In fact, he sounded a bit smug to me.

"Not true."

"How do you explain this mess?" he said, shaking his head to prove a point.

I laughed and got the last of the ice out. "She is something, isn't she?" I finally conceded.

"Hey, Kristoff! Quit talking for your reindeer and come on!" Anna called from over a nearby slope. Sven seemed to roll his eyes at me. I shrugged and followed her voice.

I found her standing by a frozen waterfall that glistened in the sunlight, but instead of staring at that, Anna had sat herself next to a lopsided snowman. I strode up beside her, but she didn't look up, totally fixated on the snowman. "We used to build snowmen all the time," she said, still not turning to me. "We always gave them names, and she would speak for them. 'My name is Olaf, and I like warm hugs!' she would say." Anna chuckled at the memory. "This looks exactly like what we built. It's nice that she remembered."

"So this place is sort of like her playground, then?" Anna's head jerked up suddenly, as if she was surprised that I had been listening. "Or where she's been practicing? The ice here is so pure and flawless."

Anna gave the snow around us a curious look before smiling and nodding. "Yes, this is all her magic, and hers alone." She sounded relieved about that. "I think it's very beautiful, what she can do. I think that if she had given everyone a chance, they would have seen the beauty of it, too. I wish she'd have let me in. Maybe none of this would have happened."

"So now it's not your fault?" I asked, feeling a little lost.

"I don't really know anymore. I thought that I had just pushed her too far, but if she had told me, then I would have known not to, and if Dad hadn't told her to hide..." Anna sighed. "Maybe it's everyone's fault. Maybe it's no one's. Although, after seeing Pitch today, I want to say that a lot of this is his fault."

That hadn't really helped. Still lost. "There you go mentioning your father again. Are you ever going to give me a coherent explanation on why you think that he's still alive?"

"I thought I had earlier."

"Could you give me a better explanation?"

"My father is Jack Frost."

Aaaand we're right back to crazy-town, not that I would say that out loud...anymore. "Wait, what?"

"Yeah. I didn't think you would believe. It's because you haven't seen him, isn't it? I told you. You have to believe to be able to see, just like with Pitch." She said it so simply, so childlike. I wondered if she also believed in Santa or the Easter Bunny.

"Well, you have to admit that it is a little hard to believe in stuff like that."

"Didn't you used to when you were little?"

"When I was little, I believed in pretty much anything. Trolls, elves, the Tooth Fairy, you name it. But I was a kid. Kids will believe anything they hear about, and believing that a little magic existed always seemed to make my, ah, situation seem just a little less grim," I admitted.

"What changed?" She seemed deeply interested in what I had to say - a child at story time - and I realized suddenly what I had just said. I was a little embarrassed, actually, but at the same time, flattered that she cared. I continued to speak.

"I grew up. No time for fairy-tales. I just figured that it didn't make any logical sense, so I stopped believing."

Anna stood up and brushed the snow from her skirt and looked me straight in the eye. "I grew up. I stopped believing, too, but I still liked fairy-tales. And how does any of what you're seeing now make sense? My sister has some pretty cool ice powers, and my mother has super long hair that can heal magically. You see all of this, yet it's still hard for you to believe?"

"Uh..." I was speechless. I wasn't able to tell if she was just talking crazy or if she actually made sense. Anna smiled at her small victory.

"Now, if you can believe in Elsa's magic, is it that hard to believe that there's other kinds of magic out there? Is it that hard to believe in fairies, the bogeyman, or Jack Frost? (Not to mention how that would completely explain where Elsa's powers came from?) I don't know. I probably still sound crazy to you, but I guess I just like to believe in things. I believe that there's still good in Elsa. Maybe you should, too." She poked me hard in the chest and giggled.

I laughed, too. How could someone sound so crazy and yet so right at the same time? Before I could open my mouth and make a comment, though, a massive shudder suddenly shook her entire frame, and she stumbled backwards, toppling over the snowman. I ran over to catch her before she fell. She didn't say anything. No quip about trust falls, and her eyes were squeezed tight in pain. "Anna!" I cried out. I didn't know what to do. I felt more helpless than I had when she was crying, and all I could do was stand there and watch as more of her hair was magically bleached. There was more white than red now.

"Elsa's...magic..." she croaked, her voice tremulous and hoarse. "Mother..." I felt her start to go limp in my hands.

"No, you need to stay awake. I'll get you to the castle right away, okay? You're going to be okay." I scooped her into my arms and hopped onto Sven in one swift motion. Sven took off immediately towards the kingdom. The crisp wind stung my face and howled in my ears, but I could hear Anna's moans of pain over all of that. She felt ice cold even through all of our layers of clothing. This couldn't be happening. She couldn't be dying. Not five minutes ago, she was laughing, her eyes full of hope and wonder, seeing only the beauty in the world.

I couldn't let that beauty die. I couldn't let her die. I held her tighter and put my own cap on her head. (Hers had flown off as we had been forced out of the ice palace.) "You're going to be okay," I repeated. "Just hang in there." She gave a half-smile at the gesture before shivering again.

We rode all day, never stopping, never slowing down. It was very late at night by the time we reached the kingdom. There was no time to run around to the bridge, so Sven raced right onto the frozen fjord. We skidded quite a bit, but we made it to land without any incidents, and from there, it was just a quick dash through the empty streets to the castle. Anna opened her eyes when we stopped and managed to stand with my support. We hobbled over to the doors together.

After some frantic knocking, the door was finally opened by none other than the queen herself, accompanied by two servants. I hadn't actually seen the queen since the celebration, and it was quite a shock to see her impossibly long hair trailing out behind her for myself. "Anna! Oh, Anna!" she cried, embracing her daughter.

"Elsa struck her with her magic," I explained, motioning to her hair, which only seemed to grow whiter by the second. Queen Rapunzel nodded in understanding.

"Gerda, prepare some soup and meet me in the den with whatever extra blankets we have." One servant nodded and hurried down the hall. The queen then turned to me. It caught me quite off guard to see how much her eyes looked like Anna's, except for the color, of course. They were wide, childlike, and beautiful, yet full of some kind of understanding that I didn't know if I would ever get. "Please, come in out of the cold. Kay, take his reindeer to the stables and make sure he's fed well." The queen started leading Anna down the hallway, and I followed, closing the doors behind us.

We were moving quickly at first, but Anna started losing strength again, and the queen didn't appear able to support her after a while. I started over to try and help her, but before I could, she suddenly stopped and focused on something in front of her that I couldn't see. "Jack!" Queen Rapunzel exclaimed, relieved.

"Dad!" Anna said about the same time.

There was nothing there. I blinked. I shook my head. They were talking to the air. "They're crazy," I whispered, turning to Sven only to remember that he wasn't there.

"Elsa got her. Could you take her?" Queen Rapunzel said to nothing. I tried to walk over and help again, but I froze, awestruck at what happened next. Anna reached forward, and she was suddenly lifted off the ground, as if she was picked up by something. She hovered there for a moment before shooting off down some other hallway. The queen told me to follow, and I did after a moment. I knew that I wouldn't lose her with all of that hair running behind her.

"Maybe I'm going crazy."

**(Hey, look at that! I did get around to updating before New Years! Anyway, here's a bit more of Kristoff and Anna fluff. More coming soon, too, but we should be taking another look at how Elsa's doing next chapter. Just so you know, I have a poll set up on my profile page, and I would appreciate your input if you get the chance. Reviews are also nice, so keep them up!)**


	18. Chapter 18: A BIG Misunderstanding

**Jack**

Anna was ice cold in my arms. (Actually, she felt around normal temperature to me, but that's when I knew that something bad was going on.) She was shivering like crazy, and the longer I held her, the worse it seemed to get. I was physically incapable of keeping anyone warm. I flew through the halls as fast as possible until I finally reached the den, where I set her gently on the couch. Rapunzel raced in a few seconds later followed by Gerda, who carried blankets and hot soup. I had to stand back and watch as she bundled Anna up and set the soup by her side. Rapunzel dismissed her, and as she left, a young man entered. I recognized him as the one Anna had run off with.

I gripped my staff angrily, making myself wait to give him a piece of my mind. Rapunzel needed to handle this situation, so I resigned myself to glowering in the corner at him while he shed his gloves, hat, and boots and took a seat by the fire to warm up. Both he and I watched intently as Rapunzel got to work, removing Anna's cloak, boots, and gloves and wrapping her in her hair. Then, she sang, her voice pure and strong, willing her daughter to be alright. Watching her hair pulse with warm magic while she sang was always beautiful. The healing light always seemed to spread to me, too, assuring me that everything was okay, no matter how dire the situation. A breathed a sigh of relief as Anna smiled at the comfort sometime towards the end of the song. The boy did the same while at the same time, looking dumbfounded at the sight of Rapunzel's magic.

Anna's hair did not return to its natural color, but I had expected that. It hadn't before. I wondered how okay she would be with having her hair mostly white. Something told me she would not take that very well. Rapunzel removed her hair and smiled down at her exhausted daughter, whose smile disappeared only a moment later as yet another great shudder shook her entire body, and she appeared to be unconscious for a few moments before fighting her way back to wakefulness. "Anna!" the three of us cried in horror.

"It didn't work," Rapunzel said, panic creeping into her tone. "But how?"

I flew over and placed a hand on my wife's shoulder, trying to calm her down for the moment. "Anna, you need to tell us everything that happened. What did Elsa do to you?"

Anna sucked in a painful breath and explained in a shaky, quiet voice, "I a-apologized t-t-to her f-for pushing her t-too far, b-b-but I pushed her too far a-again, a-and she hit me right h-here." An unsteady finger made a cross over her heart before the whole arm fell limply across her body. She was so tired, and there were no words to describe how proud I was that she was trying to be strong through this.

"She froze your heart?"

Anna simply nodded, still trying to catch her breath after speaking. Just that one motion seemed to be excruciating, and her face twisting in pain was enough to make anyone cry. I noticed the ice salesman turning his head away, wincing for her.

"Let me try," I told Rapunzel. She nodded and backed away from the couch. "This might hurt. I'm not quite sure," I warned Anna. I had cleaned up Elsa's ice thousands of times, but I had never tried to remove it from a person, and I hated that the person had to be my other daughter. There was no telling what might happen, but I knew what would happen if I didn't do anything, so gently, I brought the end of my staff to her heart. I felt Elsa's magic there, but it was different this time, stronger. As I pushed to remove it, the magic pushed back, and it was winning. It fought against my magic and eventually took over, traveling up from where my staff touched Anna to me. The next thing I knew, I was collapsed against the far wall, hearing Rapunzel scream my name but not quite seeing her, flash-blinded by a bright blue light. My staff lay abandoned by Anna, having been knocked from my grasp by the force of Elsa's magic running up through it.

The first thing I did was scramble to it. The staff was very much a part of me, a way to focus and wield my magic. Without it, my power appeared to be significantly weaker and random. I couldn't afford to lose any kind of control at the moment. Next, I turned my attention to poor Anna, who was gasping for breath and stiffly writhing in agony. I felt so stupid. I shouldn't have done that. What was I thinking? I was thinking of my daughter, but all I had done was put her in more pain.

I tried reaching out to her, but she shivered at my touch, and I hastily drew my hand back. After a long minute, the pain seemed to subside, and Anna curled up in the covers, trying to warm herself further. The ice salesman was looking around wildly. While he had been impressed by Rapunzel's magic, he was completely at a loss for words at what had just happened. (To be honest, so was I.) "What the heck?" he shouted, and I felt the urge to freeze his mouth shut for being so loud. There were people sleeping, there was no way to tell who might be listening, and I was just so on edge that anything he said or did really bothered me right then.

I figured that the odds were that he couldn't see or hear me, so I turned to Rapunzel, who was wondering the exact same thing. "Are you alright?" were the first words out of her mouth. I almost wanted to laugh.

"I'm fine," I assured her.

"What happened? Is she-?"

"I couldn't remove the ice. It's different this time. Elsa's magic fought back. It was more like a curse, and it's freezing Anna from the inside out." I could see the fear growing in Rapunzel's eyes as I spoke, and I wondered if that same fear was reflected in mine.

"What do we do?" she asked frantically.

"I don't know," I admitted, my heart sinking lower with each word. "I'll fly over to the library and try to see if there might be some other solution. You stay here and use your magic. It might not be able to stop the ice from spreading, but it'll slow the magic down."

I started on my way, but a few words from Rapunzel made me pause. "We need Elsa to come back, don't we?"

"Right now, I'm afraid so." I left then, but as I squeezed through the crack in the door - we had to leave it open on account of Rapunzel's hair flowing out behind her - I noticed quite a few more people looking in than I would expect. I floated there and watched as a few left the group and others joined, having followed the trail of hair to her location. I followed the few that had run back and quickly realized that they were heading towards the ballroom. I dashed on ahead and saw - who else? - the Duke of Weasel-town rallying a large group of people.

"The so-called 'snow queen' truly is a monster!" he told them all. "She has used her witchcraft against her sister who lays dying because of her. If you don't believe me, follow the witch's hair and see for yourself."

"It's true!" exclaimed one person I had been following, just now bursting through the ballroom doors. "The princess's hair is white as snow, and the Queen's magic cannot heal her!" A murmur went through the crowd at this revelation.

"If the Queen refuses to put an end to this still, we must take matters into our own hands for the good of everybody," the Duke said. "We need strong volunteers to head up the mountain and force the 'snow queen' to surrender and demand the return of summer." I could only watch in dismay as hand after hand went up, several of them being palace guards. The Duke volunteered his two bodyguards. I couldn't believe this was actually happening. Outraged, I couldn't help but create an ice patch as the Duke stepped down from the thrones' pedestal, where he had taken up his soap-box. He slipped and fell in the most comedic fashion, ending up sprawled across the floor with his toupee falling over his face, which had turned beet red in embarrassment and anger. "The magic spreads to the inside of the castle! We must spread out at once!" he cried.

I hurried back to Rapunzel, cutting her off mid-song, and explained the situation to her. In moments, her attitude had changed from calm and caring to fierce and indignant. She told the boy - Kristoff, she called him - to watch over Anna for the moment, and while I was skeptical of that decision, I didn't have time to grapple with trust as I followed Rapunzel down the hall. A good-sized group had gathered by the front doors, ready to set out after our daughter. "What is the meaning of this?" Rapunzel asked firmly. A few in the group shrank back sheepishly, but the Duke stepped forward, head held high as if he had already won.

"We are going forth to apprehend the monster that threatens the kingdom," he said simply.

"I ordered no party to go after my daughter."

"Except for Princess Anna. You sent her to try and talk, did you not?"

"Yes." The kingdom had noticed the absence of their last princess in the past few days, so Rapunzel had told them that she had sent her to prevent any panic. What would it say about her leadership if she confessed that both of her daughters had run off?

"And obviously, that didn't go as you hoped, but as your own daughter lay dying, you still refuse to take action against this monster-"

"That monster is my daughter!" she snarled, but the duke continued as if he hadn't heard her.

"-so we are taking matters into our own hands and doing whatever must be done to bring back summer."

"Treason!" Rapunzel cried.

The duke looked offended. "Treason? Maybe. But your own daughter defied you first, and you do not convict her of treason."

"You can't do this!" Rapunzel searched the faces of her subjects for sympathy, but many turned away.

"And you can't stop us." He had a point there. A fair portion of his group was made up of most of the royal guard. (There weren't many guards to begin with. We had reduced the staff substantially ages ago to keep Elsa's powers a secret.) The great doors opened, and I stepped forward to blow them shut and possible freeze them - the Duke of Weasel-town wouldn't be expecting me - but Rapunzel grabbed my arm and shook her head.

"You'd only make it worse," she said under her breath. She kept me there until every last person had disappeared into the darkness and the duke had retired to his room, feeling quite proud of himself. When all was quiet, I broke the silence by slamming my staff on the floor as hard as possible. The resulting surge of magic blew the doors shut and froze the entire hallway. Rapunzel slipped a bit on the ice and had to hold onto me for balance.

"How could they do this to you? And what about Elsa?"

"Jack, they're no match for Elsa, and you know it," she tried to assure me.

"Yeah, but they're crazy enough to go tick her off and Pitch Black! And that stupid duke!" I shouted something unintelligible, unable to find any words to express my rage. I knew that later, I was definitely going to freeze his door shut. And his window. If I never saw him ever again, it would be too soon.

"Hey!" She grabbed my shoulder and made me look into her eyes, which were somehow remaining calm through all of this. She was a true leader, always adapting to whatever was thrown her way. I sighed and settled down a bit for her. "Best case scenario: Elsa spots them and forces them back. Worst case scenario: Elsa gets mad, beats them to a pulp, and comes down with Pitch for some sort of revenge, which may or may not destroy the entire kingdom."

"How can you say that with a straight face?"

"Either way, I think things will work out. If they come back, the duke has been proven wrong. If Elsa comes back, that gives us another chance to deal with her, but that will be a while. It takes about a day to climb the North Mountain in good weather, so I believe their trip will be delayed by a couple of hours. Right now, we have more important things to worry about." I sighed and let myself relax a little bit. She was right, as always. She smiled warmly at me and kissed me on the cheek. "You better head to the library, and promise me that you'll at least try to get some rest when you finish your search."

"Sure."

"Jack..."

"Fine. I promise," I agreed reluctantly before flying off, not heading towards the library just yet.

"Uh, Jack?" Rapunzel called out behind me.

"Hm?"

"You didn't clean this up." I looked back and saw her sliding all around on the ice. I laughed and drifted back down to her.

"But it's more fun this way, don't you think?" I took her by the hand and spun her around until we were both tangled up in her hair. After chuckling and separating, I helped lead her to the edge, almost dancing.

"Now, hurry up and get your revenge over with so you can start doing what you're supposed to," she teased, somehow reading my mind. I shrugged, gave her a farewell kiss on the cheek, and dashed off in the direction of the duke's room.

**Elsa**

They had been climbing for hours, over a day now. Pitch and I had sent storms their way constantly, blowing out their lanterns and piling up the snow that they had to trudge through, but they were relentless. They never stopped to rest, and they pushed forward towards my palace. They reached me late into the night, but I was ready for them. I would not fail this time.

The party rudely forced their way through my doors into the main room. I stood at the top of the staircase looking down on them as they, too, were awestruck by my wondrous castle. After an eternity, one of them finally noticed me and alerted the others. "Are you ready now?" Pitch asked skeptically, and I winced at the reminder of my recent failure.

"Absolutely," I replied without any hesitation. A volley of arrows from crossbows flew my direction, and with a wave of my hand, the handrail in front of me became a shield of ice that protected me. One arrow found its way around and was aimed straight at Pitch, but after allowing myself a brief second of panic, I turned to see that he had caught it in front of his face and was looking at it with disinterest, eventually tossing it to the side and throwing a blast of nightmare sand at his attacker, who was out cold without ever knowing what hit him.

A portion of the group realized that their current strategy was ineffective, and they started charging up the staircase towards me. I swept my hand to the side, and as I did, a section of wall shot out and pushed them off the stairs, sending them all crashing through the banister - all except one, who had managed to jump ahead out of the way. He continued towards me, but I stomped my heel on the ground, sending a crack through the ice his way. The next stair he stepped on shattered under his weight, but he caught the next step with one hand and hung their precariously, calling for help. I ignored his pleas and walked stiffly by him, kicking his fingers away as I passed. He screamed and fell to the floor with a sickening thud.

Seeing that made me pause. For a second there, I had been reminded of Anna. I shook my head and begged that though to go away before freezing a carefully aimed arrow that would have hit my head.

I summoned up a series of ice spikes that scattered the group and also imprisoned them in the room. Pitch figured out my plan before I had even finished, and he drew his hand back, as if pulling on the string of a bow, and his nightmare sand assembled into the form of an arrow. He released it, and it severed the ice that had connected the chandelier to the ceiling. The massive chandelier crashed to the ground and shattered everywhere. I had to back against the wall and shield myself from its shards. When it was over, I peered out from behind my ice wall to see complete wreckage of my beautiful palace. Pitch manifested beside me. "How horrible of them," he sneered, kicking a piece of what used to be the banister.

My fury had no words, and I wound my way through the unconscious bodies, picking up a few precious icicles that had once been a part of my beautiful chandelier. It had been my favorite part. It was the most beautiful in my eyes, shaped by me into my own design with Pitch adding his sand to add more patterns. As I held the shards, the sand trickled out of the ice and somehow found its way back to Pitch until I was left with plain, clear ice, which was beautiful in its own right. I huffed and crushed it into snow in my hands.

I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye, and thrusting my hand in that direction, icicles formed and pinned the man to the wall. I strode towards him angrily, keeping one point dangerously close to his throat. "Who sent you? Why are you here?" I hissed, though I could pretty much guess. He wore the uniform of a castle guard.

His voice strained from stretching his head away from the icicles, he sputtered, "P-Princess Anna! Sh-she-!"

"Anna?" I exclaimed in shock, my hand dropping to my side numbly, much to the man's relief, though he was knocked out by Pitch just a moment later.

I stumbled back, clutching my head. No. No. Anna wouldn't do that, would she? "She fears you," Pitch said, his voice calm despite my panic.

"That's what I wanted," I told him, but it sounded more like I was trying to reassure myself.

"But she doesn't fear you enough. She hates you."

"No, Anna wouldn't. She still cared." I felt tears sting my eyes, and I shut them tight, desperately trying to force them back. Unfortunately, without the light of the world, I was left to the darkness in my head and my own frantic thoughts. Anna just couldn't hate me. She stayed by me even knowing I could hurt her, which is why she needed to fear me, but she couldn't hate me. Could she?

"She hates you now, just like everybody else. She sent people to kill you, Elsa." Pitch's voice seemed to echo inside my own head.

Anna wouldn't! But the guard had said it. Why? Anna hated me? She hated me! She was just the same as everyone else, valuing me until faced with my power. I wondered if she was jealous of me for having my powers, for seeming closer to Father, but didn't she realize that she was the favorite child? I had been imprisoned for her sake!

Anna hated me! The revelation was too much to bear. I was caught somewhere between deep despair and unimaginable rage. How could she?

Whoever described anger as hot was completely wrong. For me, as my anger consumed me, I felt my heart grow cold. It was an extremely painful experience, but I found as it was slowly frozen into a lump of ice, that I was unable to cry. The cold in my heart seemed to spread throughout my entire body and continued to expand until I was trembling with the pressure of it. Finally, it all exploded out of me as an immense icy blast and a shriek of pain that I had not imagined was a sound that I could make. The magic was so strong that it cracked and shattered the walls of my palace and formed a massive blizzard all around me.

I was left standing at the center of it all, feeling colder than ever, filled with frozen fury at Anna, at Dad, and at the world.

It was a long minute before I remembered that Pitch stood next to me. He placed what felt like a comforting hand on my shoulder and brought me out of my head. I opened my eyes and looked up at his sly smile, and I returned it, knowing that he was the only family I truly had. "I think it's time we make them fear you completely, once and for all," he whispered in my ear, seeming to read my thoughts. I laughed, a chilling, hollow sound. Yes, they all needed to see my power. They all needed to fear me. Everything would be as it should.

In a tornado of sand and snow, we were off towards my kingdom.

**(Dun Dun Duuuuun! Racing towards the climax here! I'm so excited! And even though I don't want this fic to end, it would be a blessing to finish this before my winter break ends in less than a week. Just a few chapters left! I will be starting another fic soon with Jack Frost. I'll let you know when I get that up because I want to see your reactions to the first chapter before I continue with it. Now to address a question from acts29forchrist: I have actually thought of Rapunzel's powers having that effect, and that will be brought up later on, but thank you for mentioning it or I might have forgotten. You guys are getting these chapters as soon as I finish them, so I have to plan these out carefully when I'm not at my computer. As always, I love hearing your thoughts and theories in reviews! PS: "Update soon plz" does not count as a thought or theory unless it comes at the end of an actual thought or theory. I like hearing what you liked about a chapter, not just that you liked it.)**


	19. Chapter 19: What Is Love?

**Kristoff**

The room was eerily silent once Queen Rapunzel left, and Anna lay deathly still. It was very unnerving. I listened hard for any sound that might calm me. Anna's breathing was too quiet, the shouting down the hall was anything but calming, and the tick-tock of the old grandfather clock was less than comforting, as it only seemed to count down towards Anna's doom.

I knew she was dying. Although the frantic conversation between Anna, the queen, and nothing was the oddest thing I'd ever seen in my life, I was able to understand that much, and I knew that nothing they tried was able to stop that. Not even, well, whatever that blue light was.

Anna shivered underneath all of her blankets, and before I could even think about it, I was by her side, asking what I could do to help. I still felt helpless, especially now, knowing that no matter what I did, she was going to die. I looked down at her face, the same face that had smiled and laughed and held eyes that sparkled with wonder. Those eyes were half-closed now, and her lips trembled when she tried to speak. "F-fire..." With a shaky hand, she reached out towards the fireplace, longing for its warmth. I immediately started pushing the couch closer for her, stopping only when I heard her sigh with relief.

Watching her was the most painful thing I had ever experienced. There was a tightness in my chest, as if my own heart was being frozen. "How could she do this?" I caught myself muttering.

"Sh-she's j-just s-s-scared," Anna replied, having heard me. "I-I was scared, t-too." There she was going on about the bogeyman again, but - and I hated to admit this - after all that I had seen, I was starting to wonder if there was something to all of this magic mumbo-jumbo. I'd witnessed Elsa's and the queen's magic firsthand. Then there was that blue light out of nowhere that was strangely cold, if I remembered correctly. Anna and her mother continued to talk to air. Maybe, just maybe...but it was too crazy! How did I get pulled into this strange realm of curses and creatures?

"N-none of it's h-her f-f-fault," Anna stuttered.

"And none of it's yours," I assured her, bringing the blankets up higher.

"It's all s-some crazy accident." She laughed silently. "I s-still want t-t-to fix it." I swore that she was actually losing it. Why on earth would she want to help after her sister had attacked her? I couldn't understand it. Anna saw my concerned face, sighed, and settled down into the couch, appearing to fall asleep. I wondered if I was allowed to let that happen before she spoke again, causing me to start. "You know, it-it's k-kind of boring ju-just laying here. C-could you fetch my books f-from the library? Th-they're a-a-all on a t-table by the front."

I nodded, willing to do anything that might make her more comfortable. I looked around nervously. Should I really leave her alone? Luckily, Queen Rapunzel came through the door a moment later, looking somewhat crestfallen. Before I could ask why - though I usually never concerned myself with the affairs of others - she said, "You may be dismissed, Kristoff." After a moment of surprise that she knew the name of an insignificant orphan ice-salesman, I bowed gratefully and left her to her singing.

As I wound my way to the library, I noticed that the castle hallways were nearly freezing, despite the fact that every lantern and ornate fireplace was lit. There was frost crawling from each massive, snow-covered window, and I could see my breath. I wondered if mine and Anna's interference had accidentally made the storm worse.

The library was ginormous, much like the rest of the castle. Just as Anna had said, there was a small table near the front, sitting just by a window, underneath which was a plush couch. I could just imagine her laying there, poring over her fantasies with the window open to let in the summer breeze, finding friendship in characters of books while her sister seemingly rejected her. I picked up the small stack of books on the table, untouched for quite a while, judging by the layers of dust. Before I left, yet another table caught my eye, though I didn't approach it. It was even smaller, contrasting the stack of comically large volumes standing on top of it. Next to it was a hard, wooden chair with intricate carvings on the back. Something told me that Elsa read there, sitting far, far from the window while her sister was out, studying to stave off the loneliness.

It was quite sad to look at, and I hurried off before long, though I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched on my way out.

Queen Rapunzel looked up as I came in, seeming quite shocked that I actually came back. Honestly, where else would I go? I set Anna's books down on a stool by the couch and took my seat next to the fire once again. Anna appeared to have fallen asleep in my absence, and the queen stroked her hair - nearly completely white now - lovingly. It made me smile, seeing her like this. She was calm and peaceful, having left the pain behind in favor of dreams. I knew she must be dreaming, probably of fairies and roses. This was Anna, after all. My smile did not go unnoticed by the queen, and she turned to me before long.

"I can't thank you enough for bringing her back safe and sound," she said, her voice sounding a little tired from singing constantly.

"I, ah, it was nothing," I told her. "But 'safe and sound' are hardly the words that I'd use." We both looked down at Anna, then back at each other. I couldn't help but notice how young the queen appeared. Her skin was still smooth and rosy, not a wrinkle in sight. She didn't look old enough to be a queen, let alone have two adult daughters, and with many of the same features as Anna, I would have sooner guessed that she was Anna's sister instead of Elsa if I didn't know any better.

"Yes, but she's alive. Don't feel bad. There wasn't anything you could do. We all know how stubborn Anna can be when she gets an idea in her head, but she means well." Her words dripped with all of the affection that a mother could have, and I couldn't even imagine how her heart must be breaking seeing her daughter like this. Whatever she felt, she hid it behind a warm smile as she waited for my response with wide, kind eyes, eyes that begged the truth out of you and assured you that you were safe.

"I feel like I should have done something, though. I shouldn't have taken her in the first place. I didn't know it was against your wishes until after we were on our way, but I still never turned around. I'm sorry, your highness." I bowed apologetically. Anna's mother was too kind, and I hated myself for making her worry. I was lucky that she hadn't thrown me in the dungeon for everything I had done. Yet.

She waved it off, and I sighed inwardly in relief. "Don't worry about it. The past is in the past. What's important is that you kept her safe. Who knows what kind of trouble she would have gotten into on her own? I think we both know that she would have gone out with or without your assistance." I chuckled and nodded. "And you can quit the 'your highness' stuff and call me Rapunzel. There's no need for formality between friends. I mean, you pretty much saved my daughter. I think I can consider you a friend."

I laughed nervously, flustered at the thought of being friends with the queen. This person had the authority to have me killed if I made her upset, but she didn't. "O-okay, Rapunzel," I said. Her name was odd and felt weird to say for the first time. I wondered what it meant. There was probably a book about it in that huge library back there.

"Speaking of friends..." Her tone became suddenly lighthearted, and some instinct told me that I should be fearful of the next conversation. "Are you and Anna-?"

"No!" I denied, a little more forcefully than I would have liked towards the queen. She only laughed it off, and I felt my face go hot, probably turning an awful shade of red, though I had no idea why.

"Oh, come on now! I see the way you look at her. Don't tell me there's nothing there. Details! Details!" The queen crossed her legs and propped her chin up on her hands, staring at me expectantly. Really, she was almost as bad as the teenagers in the village.

"I, uh..." It was hard to find any words to formulate a coherent response. Why was I so bad with words? "I think you've got it all wrong. We're not-"

"You know, she's had princes after her hand all week."

"Wait, what?" I blurted out, instantly regretting it. The exclamation had come out before I could even think, and I fumbled around with words, trying to fix it. "Ah, I mean, that's to be expected, I guess. She is, uh..."

Rapunzel was giggling so hard that I thought she might fall over. "I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! You like her!" My face was too hot, and I glanced over at Anna's sleeping form to make sure that she wasn't hearing any of this. "Does she like you back? Do you know?"

"Um, I don't-"

"Well, I guess you don't. It's only been a few days, but oh, how sweet!" Rapunzel clapped her hands in delight. "Jack's reaction ought to be hilarious, too. Her father's very overprotective. I should warn you. He nearly froze the main hall when you and Anna first left together."

"Wait, father? Froze? Jack?" My jaw dropped as my brain processed what she was saying.

"Jack Frost? I don't suppose Anna told you. She just found out the other day, poor thing."

"No, she told me. It's just-"

"You don't believe," she finished for me, nodding in understanding. "Well, that'll need fixing." Rapunzel yawned and stretched. "Do you mind watching her for a while? I need to rest. I've never had to use my magic so much. If you need anything, just send Gerda for me, or Jack is in the library. Good night, and thank you, Kristoff."

I waved, watching until the last golden lock of hair had left the room. My face was still hot, and sitting next to the fireplace wasn't helping at all. I stood up and moved to the other side of the couch, where I looked down upon Anna and smiled at her pleasantly peaceful face, glad that for the moment, she had escaped from the pain. Rapunzel's magic must be working. Not really knowing what I was doing, I stroked a stray hair - one of the few that retained any color - that had caught a corner of her mouth out of her face. If I was really, truly honest with myself, there was no doubt about it.

I was falling in love with a princess.

I must have fallen asleep some time after that. When I next opened my eyes, I was curled up in a chair by the couch - the same one Rapunzel had been sitting in the night before - and it was noon, so the grandfather clock read. Rapunzel must have come in at some point because beside me on a silver platter was a hot bowl of hazelnut soup. I couldn't remember the last time I had eaten, and I devoured it in seconds. Anna's lunch lay untouched by her, and I was half-tempted to eat it, but I knew that if she ever woke up that she would need it. She was in exactly the same position that I had left her in, having not even stirred throughout the entire night.

I saw the stack of books that I had brought her, still dusty, still unopened. Her eyes were shut tight, so I knew that there was no way that she was reading them anytime soon, but she had asked for them, even when she hardly had any voice. I knew that in some way, they must be important to her, so I picked one up off the top of the stack. This one was titled _Heckedy Peg_. It seemed to be some fairy-tale or another, which was to be expected of Anna, I guess. I cracked it open, coughing at the dust that flew my way, and started to read out loud, whether or not Anna could hear me.

This story was about a mother with seven greedy children, each named after a day of the week. The mother went out one day and told the children not to let in a stranger and not to touch the fire. Each children asked for a specific item from their mother while she was out. Once the mother was gone, they pretty much immediately disobeyed her, letting in a creepy, old witch and lighting her pipe, all for some gold that she had promised them. The witch cursed them all with her pipe, turning them all into food so she could feast. The mother came back, and was promised by the witch that if she could tell who each of her children were, they would be freed. The mother knew, of course, out of her love and gave each of them what they had asked for, and they all turned back and lived happily ever after - except for the witch, who jumped off a bridge.

It was typical fairy-tale formula. Witch. Curse. True-love. The end.

I went through fairy-tales for the next several hours, each of them going about the same way. (Except for _The Little Mermaid_, which basically ended with her dying and trying to earn a soul to get to heaven. What kind of a story was that?)

**Anna**

I wouldn't let anyone know it, but I had been awake for several hours. It's quite easy to fake unconsciousness when moving is excruciatingly painful. I didn't open my eyes to see, but I listened hungrily to the stories. I quite liked having Kristoff read to me. It was so sweet, and it almost made my heart feel like it was melting. Ha! That's a joke.

Kristoff had gone through several of my favorites. _The Frog Prince_, _Beauty and the Beast_, _Snow White_. We were nearly to the end of _Sleeping Beauty_ when I cried, "That's it!" My eyes snapped open, and I tried to sit straight up, but the pain made me wince and forced me back down. I could almost imagine icicles inside my body, stabbing me if I moved just the wrong way. "Ow! Ow!" I bit down on my lip. That had been a really stupid move.

Kristoff gave an unmanly - yet adorable - squeak of fright at my sudden outburst, which was to be expected. I had let him believe that I had been asleep for...how long had it been? He recovered and ran to my side. "Are you okay, Anna?" I reached out to him quickly, which caught him off-guard for a second, and he backed away on reflex. I felt the terror of falling for a second before he finally took my hands in his and gripped them tight, assuring me that he would never let me fall. "Your hands are like ice," he remarked, giving my fingers a warm squeeze. I paid no attention to his question or concern.

"You have to kiss me!" I told him.

He jerked back but didn't let go of my hands. "Wait, what?"

I wanted to roll my eyes, but the action gave me a splitting headache. Why couldn't he just do it without me having to explain? It was too awkward. He was making it awkward. "Kristoff, I need you to kiss me!" I tried again.

"Anna, I don't understand. What are you talking about?" He took my shoulders and shook me gently, as if trying to snap me out of something, but though I was tired and weak, I was completely in my right mind. I gripped the front of his coat to steady myself.

"The books!" I croaked. "Dad said that I was cursed. In all of the books, the curse is broken by an act of true love. True love's kiss!"

"True love's k-kiss?" He looked absolutely flustered, which was cute.

"Don't you love me?" I asked, feeling my hope falter. What if I was wrong? I was going to die, and for the first and last time, I was going to experience heartbreak. (Well, maybe not the first time. I was still distraught over the fact that Elsa didn't want to come back.)

"W-well, I, uh...I'm not sure I-I..." He stumbled over his words, his face becoming a garish shade of red.

"You don't," I concluded, releasing him and slumping back onto the couch. I wanted to cry. He probably thought that I was stupid. I was stupid! I shivered again.

"No, it's not that!" he assured me. I looked at him curiously. "It's just...huh, I never thought I would be talking about it like this...and, uh, well..." He rubbed the back of his neck, and I realized that I was the one who had made things awkward by rushing into something like this. I really was stupid. "Yes, I think I've been falling in love with you," he finally admitted, slowly, sheepishly.

I blushed, sorry that I had forced him into this situation. This whole thing felt wrong. "Me, too," I confessed. "I just thought that maybe..." Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

"Yeah, I get it, but is it true love?" he said, giving me pause. "I mean, I've never really been in love and stuff and, well, I just..."

I looked up at the ceiling and sighed. He had a point. What did I know about true love? What did either of us know? Stupid... "All my life, I've read about true love, but I guess I never really knew what it was about."

"Yeah. Some things you just can't get out of books," he agreed, sitting back against the couch. "You have to get out and experience it, which you've never really been able to do stuck in this castle all the time."

"So, do you have a better grasp on it than I do, being out in the world and all?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not the most social person around, but I get a few ideas."

"Like?"

"Love is..." He paused, trying to choose the right words. "Love takes time. It grows. I once knew a person who said he was in love with a pretty blonde down the street, but once she rejected him, he moved on like that." He snapped his fingers for emphasis. "That's not love. That's infatuation, and it doesn't last. On the other hand, there's this elderly couple who walks by every once in a while, and you'll never see any two more in love. They've been together longer than I remember, and they'll say that their bond is stronger together. They love each other a little more every day."

I nodded, feeling like even more of an idiot for trying to rush into this. I really didn't know anything, did I? "Love is infinite," I gathered. "You can always give love, and it will never run out."

"Love never goes away. There are widows who never remarry because they've already found their true love, even if they're not there."

"Love is happiness."

"But it's not always easy."

"Yeah. My parents dispute sometimes, but that doesn't mean they're not in love."

Kristoff chuckled, but thankfully, he made no comment about my dad being dead.

"Love is sacrifice," I said. "It's putting someone else's needs above your own, whether they know, like it, or not." I remembered what Tooth had said about Dad avoiding her for years after he met Mom. He kept out of the Guardians for a reason, maybe to protect us, but it was not without cost to him. He'd left behind some of his best friends. I remembered how Kristoff had raced back to the castle to get me safe and warm while I was dying. He had carried me such a long way through treacherous conditions. Then, I remembered Elsa, who had locked me out of her life for years just to keep me safe. I sighed. I missed her so much.

Kristoff heard me and took one of my hands in his to comfort me before continuing our little game of describing love by the fireplace. It was fun, and we laughed and played for a long time. It almost made me feel warm inside.

Almost.

**(Yay, a chapter full of fluff! Fluffflufffluff! I'm sorry if any of my fluff is poorly written. Oh, well. I'm pretty tired, what with getting sick again and all and watching Mary Poppins repeatedly. I just saw _Saving Mr. Banks._ Just so you know, a spoonful of sugar does NOT help the medicine go down. Cough syrup tastes awful with or without said sugar. Blech! Anywho, we should be getting back to more dramatic things sooner or later. The end of my break is coming too soon, and writing during school is a nightmare, so expect a flurry of chapters in the next few days, but if you already follow this, you know that I update obsessively anyway, so that shouldn't be too new. Love and Review!)**


	20. Chapter 20: Believing Is Seeing

**Kristoff**

It was long past midnight, but Anna seemed to refuse to go back to sleep. I was very okay with that. Although she seemed at peace, the stillness was nerve-racking. If it weren't for her very faint breathing, it was easy to assume that she was already dead, which is why her voice, tired and hoarse as it was, was very comforting to me. I held her ice-cold hand as we spoke, willing it to be warm. Rapunzel popped in every once in a while, sang her special song, and left us alone with a knowing smile. It was funny now how casually I could watch her work miracles.

We had gone through every one of her fairy-tales, and our conversation had stalled for a moment while she shook. The shivering had gotten much worse in the past few hours. After every one, she had to take several minutes to catch her breath. The pain seemed to be very intense for her, as every small movement made her wince, and every shake caused her to cry out in pain. After this one, though, she took much longer to recover than normal, and she still seemed to be shaking slightly once the shudder had passed. I realized that she was crying.

Now I felt even more useless. I couldn't stop her pain, and I was terrible at comforting people. I moved to brush tears from her face - I figured that was all I could really do - before realizing that there were none. Her eyes were squeezed tightly, and horrified, I wondered if they had been frozen shut. "Let me get your mom," I told her, starting to stand up.

"Wait!" she croaked, weakly grabbing my wrist. "I-I need to s-say something f-first."

I knelt down next to her again and squeezed her hand comfortingly. "Anything. I'm listening."

"You h-have t-t-to promise me something."

"Anything," I assured her.

"I-if I get through this-"

"You will," I interjected, earning me the most angry Anna could muster in her state. I shut up and let her continue.

"If I g-get through this, you owe me a k-kiss." She chuckled at the end of the sentence, but it was a heartbreaking, pitiful sound. Nevertheless, I chuckled with her, if only to make her feel better a little.

"Fair enough," I agreed.

"A-and one m-m-more thing. If I-I don't, w-well, you know..." I winced at the implication. How could I reassure her? How could I tell her that it was going to be alright? What did I know? "P-promise me you'll believe. Whether or n-not I-I make it, promise me that."

"I will," I said slowly. She wanted me to believe that badly?

"No, p-p-promise me," she insisted, squeezing my hand as tightly as she could with stiff fingers.

"I promise," I said with all seriousness. On her deathbed, that was her wish?

"G-g-good. N-no going back now." She gave a small giggle that quickly disappeared as the greatest shudder yet jerked her body, and all she could do was curl up in pain. I could only watch as the last few strands of hair changed to white.

"Rapunzel!" I shouted, running from the room. "Rapunzel!" It wasn't long before she came running down the hallway, her long hair billowing out behind her, and her breath coming out in misty clouds. Pushing past me, she rushed to the aid of her daughter. I watched as she sat down at her side and started to sing, but I didn't follow behind her. I was suddenly very reluctant to see Anna again. I just didn't think I could take any more pain from watching her die anymore, so I took a small walk to clear my head.

I traveled down the arced hallway, eventually ending in the main hall beside a massive staircase. I sat down on the bottommost step and pressed my palms into my tired eyes, as if I could just blink it all away. I wished it would all go back to the way it was, as if none of this had never happened. None of this should have happened. Elsa shouldn't have frozen the kingdom, Anna shouldn't have gone up and gotten herself hurt, and I shouldn't have gone with her. Then again, if none of this had happened, if I hadn't gone with her, I would never have really gotten to know her. I would have never experienced all of the joy and all of the pain that came with love.

Ah, better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. Isn't that what everyone always said? It always sounded stupid to me. It still sounded stupid.

Why didn't I kiss her? I knew I was in love with her. If I had kissed her, maybe I might have saved her. She wouldn't have to die!

But what if-?

What if it wasn't really true love? What if I kissed her and nothing happened? I would have gotten my hopes up for nothing, and she would die, both of us with broken hearts. I just couldn't live with myself if that happened. To be honest, I was really scared to kiss her under all of this pressure.

Sitting on the stairs all alone, I was really tempted to cry. _Believe_, she had said. _Promise me_, she had told me. Was it really so simple, or was it childish fancy? Should it really be so hard? I looked up suddenly. I couldn't explain it, but I got the feeling that I was being watched.

**Jack**

I scoured the library for hours, searching for anything at all that might help save Anna, but I found nothing. Both medicine books and magic books were completely useless. I settled in a chair in the back, making myself process all that had happened. Anna just couldn't be dying. Although she had said it was Elsa who had struck her, I knew that Pitch must have had something to do with it, even if I couldn't prove it just yet. Elsa wouldn't attack Anna. She had spent her whole life protecting Anna.

Hadn't she?

Was I really such a terrible father that I would put them in such a situation? It had been my idea to separate them, to lock them up. Was it really all my fault?

But Elsa never wished to hurt anyone. She had told me as much herself those many times that she had confided in me with no one else to confide to. It was what she had nightmares about. It was her worst fear. Fear...

Yes, it was Pitch!

As I thought, the large double doors of the library creaked open, and in stepped the young man who had taken Anna away and brought her back. Rapunzel had said his name was Kristoff. I watched as Kristoff first marveled at our immense library, then made his way over to Anna's favorite reading spot, picking up the stack of fairy-tales she always kept. Then, without so much as another word, he left, and out of curiosity, I followed. He traveled along Rapunzel's hair to the den. I didn't go in, but I chose to wait by the door and listen as he spoke to Rapunzel while Anna slept.

The conversation was not the most comfortable to listen to, and I wondered how Rapunzel could seem so okay with it all, if not even excited about it. I had only just gotten my daughter back, and now she was dying, being wrenched from my arms. On top of it all, she now had an admirer? Someone who might take her away from me even if she lived? I drifted away from the door as Rapunzel left, pretending in vain that I hadn't been eavesdropping, but she smiled knowingly.

"I honestly don't think you should worry about it. I actually think it's sweet," she said, traveling out of earshot from the room. I wondered how she could trust him so easily.

"How can you say that? I mean, he just-"

"Saved Anna's life?" I gritted my teeth. She had a point. "Look, you and I both know that Anna has always dreamed of her own fairy-tale, and if this guy gives her that, I honestly don't mind. He really does care about her, and it kills him just as much as it does you to see her like this."

"I just...I can't...Jeez, why do you always have to be right?"

"Papa Bear," she giggled before becoming serious again. "So, I'm guessing the library-?"

"No luck," I sighed. "I don't know what to do, and the worst part is that I'm scared. That's just what he wants. He's doing this all to drive us apart, but I don't know why. Is it just his sick, twisted idea of fun, or is there some kind of reason behind it?"

_Maybe both?_ said a voice in the back of my mind. What he said about family before rang out in my head.

"We can't worry about that now," Rapunzel said. "We need to take things one at a time. Right now, we need to help Anna, bring Elsa back, and then Pitch will get what he deserves." She punched her palm for emphasis, which earned a chuckle from me.

After several hours of searching and worrying, I found myself hanging about on the chandelier in the main hall. I felt exhausted physically and mentally, but I was unable to rest. I tried closing my eyes, but an annoying buzzing sound in my ears kept me from fading into sleep. The buzzing soon developed into a high-pitched squealing, and I was forced to open my eyes out of sheer irritation and I was met with a pair of odd-eyes right in my face. "Baby Tooth!" I exclaimed, nearly falling from my perch. She shivered and sneezed in response.

"Yes, it's very cold here. Not my fault. And where the heck were you?" She pointed to a window at the storm. "Yes, I know it's hard for you to fly out there, but you were supposed to be with Anna? What happened to protecting her?" She uttered a flurry of squeaks to fast for me to truly understand, but I thought I heard 'Guardians' somewhere in the mix. Suddenly, I heard yelling, and it wasn't the duke pounding against his frozen door furiously. I shushed Baby Tooth as Rapunzel ran to the den, and the hair that trailed behind her was soon glowing with magic. It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened, and Baby Tooth and I were at the door in an instant.

Anna's hair was completely white now, and she shivered, even though she was wrapped in the healing light that originated from Rapunzel. I flew slowly away, leaving her to her singing, feeling so helpless. I went back to the great hall to mope or something, but someone had beaten me there. Kristoff sat on the staircase, face buried in his hands in grief, a person in pain if I ever saw one. I thought that maybe, just maybe there was something to what Rapunzel had said about him caring. I jumped over to the banister to watch him, tapping my staff along the rail until it was completely frosted over. Kristoff looked up suddenly. "Is somebody there?" he called glancing around.

I looked over to Baby Tooth, who shook her head, saying that he didn't believe. He couldn't have heard me then, could he?

Kristoff shook his head, and to my surprise, he chuckled to himself. "Oh, I must be going crazy, but I promised...Jack? Jack Frost?"

Baby Tooth squeaked her surprise, and I nearly did the same. I guess it was easy to believe that Anna had told him, but that he actually listened was shocking. I decided to put this to the test, creeping up behind him, a snowball in hand. Whether this worked or not, it would be hilarious to see his reaction. I hurled the snowball at him, hitting him squarely in the back of the head. The reaction was indeed hilarious, involving jumping and sputtering incoherent sentences before turning around to catch the culprit.

He blinked once. Then, twice. After a third time, it was starting to get awkward staring back.

"You're real!" he gasped. Baby Tooth squeaked happily and flew around him, causing him to stumble backwards and trip on a stair. I winced as he fell on the hard tile. "I'm okay!" He stood up, rubbing his head where he had hit it.

"Well, look who's finally a believer!" I said, balancing on top of my staff. I couldn't help but smile. I hadn't decided whether or not I liked this boy yet, but it was nice to have someone else see me.

"So, you're Anna's Dad?"

"More or less."

"Wow...this is just...I thought she was crazy...I'm not going crazy, am I?"

"You never know."

"You're no help."

I shrugged indifferently.

"So, Elsa got her powers from you? _The_ Jack Frost?"

"Yes and yes, but let's not talk about me or her for the moment. Since you can see me now, let's talk about Anna." I walked closer to him and watched the color suddenly drain from his face until it was nearly as pale as mine. Good. I scared him without having to say a word. I might actually get along with this guy if he kept up the respect.

"Oh," he gulped as I looked him in the eye. Frowning, I noticed that he was actually several inches taller than me up close, so I may have cheated a little by flying to his eye-level.

"I'm going to make this short and sweet, the less awkward for the both of us. Let's just get one thing clear." I held my staff up to his face and continued, "If you ever do anything to hurt my daughter, I will freeze you solid before you can even blink." I watched him blink twice self-consciously. "Are we clear?"

"As ice," he muttered. I smiled suddenly and flew back out of his face, causing him momentary confusion.

"Keep that up, and we might actually get along," I laughed, and he joined in, albeit nervously at first.

**Kristoff**

It was nearly dawn when I headed back into the den to see Anna. Rapunzel had stepped out again to rest, but she hated leaving her daughter. To my surprise, Anna had actually forced herself into a sitting position when I reached her, but she still looked awful, even worse than before. I tried not to let my pain show as I walked up to her. "You should be resting," I told her, taking a seat on the couch next to her.

"Not-t t-tired," she lied, her voice stuck in a constantly shaky whisper.

"So, uh, I met your father..."

"You did?" She gripped my arm suddenly and looked up at me eagerly. "I told you! I t-told you that you j-j-just h-had to believe!"

"Yeah, I hate to admit it, but you were right. Your dad's actually pretty cool."

"I-is that supposed to be a-a joke?" Baby Tooth then flew from my shoulder to hers and snuggled up to her ice-cold neck. "And you found B-Baby Tooth! I've been wondering where sh-she went." Anna attempted to stroke the fairy with numb, stiff fingers, but with little success. Baby Tooth flew from her shoulder and then down to Anna's feet, squeaking angrily. I looked where she pointed and saw that Anna had put her boots on, probably after much struggling.

"And where do you think you're going?" I asked crossly. My tone didn't phase her, and she looked up at me almost defiantly because of it.

"E-Elsa. I-if anyone c-c-can break the curse, she can." Anna made a move towards her cloak, but I held her shoulders and kept her still.

"Are you kidding? A trip outside could kill you!" I wasn't about to lose her like this.

"So will staying in here!" she yelled back as best she could. "I'm going to d-die either way, b-b-but I'm not going t-to die knowing that I didn't even p-put up a fight."

"How do you know that she'll help you?"

"I s-still believe that there's g-good in Elsa. You just now believed me about my dad. Why stop there?" She offered what was probably meant as a comforting smile.

I sighed, giving in, knowing that I would probably hate myself forever afterwards. "Fine, I'll help you. Again. You know that your father's going to freeze me to death for this."

"Well, if h-he doesn't, Elsa probably will," she teased.

"That's not funny," I said, but I had to stifle a laugh all the same. Our laughter was cut short by the fire suddenly blowing out, leaving the room unbearable cold. Anna immediately shivered so hard that I had to move over to support her. There was a loud cracking sound above us, and we looked up to see ice growing along the ceiling. We looked at each other, both thinking the same thing. "I don't think you're going to have to go very far to see your sister."

**(Yay, Kristoff believes! Woot! Don't have much else to say but review! On to the next!)**


	21. Chapter 21: Choices

**Elsa**

We landed on the fjord, frozen completely solid, thanks to me. I looked over my kingdom, my subjects, with disgust and contempt. Hateful little creatures, the lot of them. They hated me, but I needed them to fear me. They needed to know that I would not tolerate any more attacks against me, and I would do what I must to enforce that. I looked back at Pitch, who nodded and smiled, who couldn't be happier with my plan, which reassured me. We strode forward across the ice waves, wind picking up as we went, snow pelting our faces, but neither of us reacted.

**Jack**

The entire castle became suddenly very dark and cold, the only light coming from the barely rising sun outside, which was mostly hidden by black storm clouds. I heard Pitch's very distinct laugh echo through the halls, and his shadow formed on every wall, circling around me and Rapunzel, who had come to my side carrying her trusty frying pan. She shrank back from the sight, and I would have held her close to assure her that everything was fine, but it was freezing, and my touch could only make her feel worse.

"Do you want her Jack? Elsa? She's right outside with me," he taunted. His shadows slunk away, but the lights didn't return, and neither did the heat. Rapunzel was wrapping herself in her hair to keep warm. I watched as ice began to creep along the walls and the floor, bursting into the castle through any miniscule crack. Icicles began to shoot out of the ice patches, sharp and deadly. One nearly shot right through me.

"You need to get out of here!" I told Rapunzel, pushing her in the direction of the doors and out of the way of another spike. She turned around to protest. "I'll be fine! I'll go get Anna and Kristoff! Just go through the main doors while you can!" She nodded and ran like I told her to, whacking the tips of icicles off as she went to ensure her safe passage. The spikes soon blocked the path behind her.

I shot off towards the den, where I found Anna already standing up, aided by Kristoff and Baby Tooth, who wwere helping her with the clasp on her cloak. She was complaining about it taking too long. "If you're going to survive out there for longer than a minute in your state, you're going to need your extra clothes!" he told her.

"We need to go now! Here, let me take her." I reached out to Anna.

"Don't worry. I can get her out," Kristoff said, cutting me off. "You need to go get Elsa like Pitch said!"

"Oh, look! You believe in the bogeyman, too!" Anna chimed in.

I gave Kristoff a disbelieving look. Was I really going to trust him with her like this? Kristoff, seeming to read my mind, looked me in the eyes and assured me, "Just go. I promise I'll take care of her. Trust me." I nodded and pressed a small kiss to Anna's cheek, causing her to shiver slightly, and I realized that it may not be the best idea for me to carry her anyway.

"Be safe. Both of you." With that, I flew off again, winding my way through massive icicles to the nearest exit, which just so happened to be a window that I crashed through. I would fix that later.

From my vantage point high above the kingdom, I could see Pitch on the fjord, a black spot against the ice and snow, and sure enough, Elsa was at his side. I gritted my teeth at the image and dove towards them. I landed in front of them before they could reach land, holding my staff out threateningly. "You don't want to do this, Elsa!" I yelled over the wind. It only seemed to increase in volume in response.

"Since when do you care what I want?" she retorted, her power sparking at her fingertips angrily. "Now, get out of my way!"

I gripped my staff tighter, trying not to let my pain and disappointment show. I feared she might be lost to me forever. "No."

Her fingers balled up into fists, ready to strike out against me, but Pitch placed a hand on her shoulder - I was going to murder him for touching her - and shook his head. "Allow me. Don't you have someone else to attend to?" Elsa's hands remained clenched, but nodded anyway and started walking forward. I tried to reach out to her, to call her name as she passed, but a wall of sand hit me hard enough to knock me off my feet and send me flying away from her. "It's just you and me now, Jack," Pitch said.

**Anna**

We finished up with my cloak shortly before Dad left, but as Kristoff reached for my gloves on the table, the wood splintered and shattered all around the room. Kristoff jumped in front of me to protect me. An icicle had shot up through the ground, and many more were making their way through the walls, some nearly impaling us. We ran. Well, Kristoff ran, and I held onto him for dear life and stumbled behind, and Baby Tooth flitted off to find her own escape. My feet felt numb. We managed to make it to the main hall, but the exits were quickly being blocked.

"Which way to the stables?" Kristoff asked. I pointed a shaky finger in the right direction, which was also being blocked by the deadly spikes. Kristoff frown and turned to me. "I'm about to do something crazy."

Despite the situation, I laughed, which seemed to reassure him slightly. "I'm all about crazy," I whispered.

He nodded and held onto my arm tighter before taking off at a run down the hallway. I would have been screaming if I had any voice left. The next thing I knew, we were on the ground, sliding like penguins on the icy floor underneath the icicles. It was actually kind of fun, even though there was the imminent threat of being skewered. I heard a tear in fabric, and although I couldn't turn around and look, I felt a small tug around my neck and knew that one icicle had torn through a section of my cloak. We finally hit the wall, Kristoff managing to cushion my crash against him, and he helped me up (more like dragged me).

We ducked through a door just as an icicle burst through behind us, pushing us and causing us to slip on the icy stairs outside. We landed in a soft pillow of snow. I hadn't been truly prepared for how the cold outside would effect me, and I caught myself shrieking in pain as loud as my voice would allow me. Where the fluffy powder touched me, it stung like a hundred bees. As the wind whipped around me, inside, I could feel the ice growing and stabbing into me. It was the worst kind of pain I had ever experienced. Kristoff dug me out of the snow and called to Sven, who was by his side immediately. I was helped onto his back, shaking like a leaf, and Kristoff began leading us forward, both of us trying to call out to Elsa in the storm.

**Elsa**

I wound my way through the streets of town, laughing as I used my powers freely like I never had before. How long had it been since I last walked here, desperately trying to hide myself from these wicked people? It didn't matter anymore. I was free, and they would be trapped. Oh, how the tables had turned! I cast my hands to the left and right, freezing over houses and shops in my wake. I caught sight of the chocolate stand Anna and I hand bought from, and bitterly, I froze it and shattered it. Reminded of my reason for coming, I changed my path to reach the castle quicker.

I reached the gates that had locked me away all of my life, and they froze over as I stood there, staring into the courtyard. Through the storm, a strange shape quickly came into view. It was the ice salesman and his reindeer, carrying my sister on his back, her hair stained white with the snow and her face deathly pale. She looked more like Dad than I ever did like that.

_Favorite child_, whispered a voice in my head that I wasn't sure was mine.

The ice salesman helped Anna down, and they approached me to where it was easier to speak over the storm that I encouraged. "Well, Anna it looks like I lied. I did come back, and you brought me here," I snarled.

"Elsa, what are you talking about?" she asked in a voice that was no more than a hoarse whisper, probably from the cold. I felt my anger and impatience rising at her feigned innocence.

"You know very well what I'm talking about! You sent that mob after me! You're just as hateful as everyone else here, so stop lying!"

"Elsa, no," she said, sounding close to tears. "I would never do that to you. You're my sister."

"Liar! You hate me! They said that you-"

"Elsa!" the ice salesman interjected. "The reason they went after you was not because Anna sent them, but because they saw Anna looking like this after you attacked her!" He gestured to Anna's snowy head of hair, which closer inspection revealed was not actually snow. Her hair was bleached white.

"Elsa, you froze my heart." My eyes went wide, and I stared down at my hands in horror. Then, looking at hers, I could see patches of ice blooming along her skin. "I'm dying." I backed away in fear. This couldn't be happening!

"No, I never-!"

"I know you didn't mean it, Elsa. You never wanted to hurt anyone. That's why you shut people out. That's why you shut me out."

"I never meant to hurt you!" I felt close to tears, but why couldn't I cry? This was all wrong! Had I been so blinded by anger that I hadn't seen what really happened? Her hair should have been a dead giveaway that I had hurt her! Had I really been jealous of it? This was all wrong!

"Please, could you remove the curse?" I could see how the cold outside was affecting her. I could almost feel the ice traveling through her body. The storm suddenly became a nuisance as my new goal was to save my sister, not to condemn her. I waved my hands around wildly, trying to make it stop, but it only grew stronger until I could hardly see Anna in front of my face.

"I can't! I don't know how!" I cried out. I began to panic, and panicking only made things worse. "Just stay here away from me, and I'll figure out what to do!"

"Elsa, wait!" Anna shouted as best she could behind me, but I ignored her and ran back through the streets towards the fjord.

**Jack**

Pitch was stronger than before. I knew that from the beginning of our fight. I could barely fend off the nightmare sand, and he landed too many blows. I wasn't going to last very long like this. On top of it all, he talked the entire time. "What stings most, Jack? Is it the fact that she sees me as a better father than you ever were?"

"Why do you care?" I aimed a blast in the direction of his voice, inevitably missing. The storm continued growing, and it only became harder to see him, despite how well he stuck out against the whiteness.

"I must say, even though having a family is probably the most stupid thing you've ever done, having a daughter proves to be very satisfying."

"She's my daughter!"

"Not anymore. Oh, you hate it, don't you? How I can turn your own flesh and blood against you?"

"Shut up!"

"Although, it was quite a trick trying to get her to kill the other one. Anna, was it? You know, she never did want to hurt anyone, but she doesn't know that. She fears it, though."

"Stop it! Stop it!" I barely blocked a volley of black sand heading my way.

"I might actually consider keeping Elsa around after all of this is done, if not for the company, than for the fear." A wall of black sand came out of nowhere, knocking the wind out of me and sending my staff flying from my hand. I skidded across the ice, so weak that I could barely lift myself up. He had won, and he was taking my staff as a trophy. I watched it turn black as his magic flowed through its cracks.

"Oh, I haven't even told you the best part, Jack. You know that I grow stronger by feeding off of fear. Your fear was quite satisfying when I ripped your family apart. Then, there's the fear of the children of the world as Elsa's storm kept the Guardians away, blocking the tooth fairies and Sandy's dreams, leaving only my nightmares, but do you want to know the fear that I've thrived off of this whole time, even before this big mess started?" He knelt down beside me with a wide, taunting smile. "Elsa's. Elsa's fear is the sweetest of them all. I've manipulated it this whole time, but she never knew"

Pitch stood up and pointed my staff at me, preparing the final blow, but I was already dead inside. How could I have let all of this happen? Elsa, my daughter..."Goodbye, Jack. Don't worry about a thing. I'll take great care of her," he sneered.

Before he could strike, a familiar voice called out from across the fjord. "Pitch!" cried Elsa, running his way. He held the staff in between the two of them as she approached, and she held onto it to steady herself, looking up into his face anxiously. He tried to shake it from her grip with a look of great annoyance, but she was - thankfully - stronger than she looked. "Pitch, you have to help me! Anna's dying!"

"Not now, Elsa!" he hissed. She continued as if she hadn't heard him.

"I cursed her on accident! You have to show me how to fix it!" I looked up eagerly. There was still hope. Elsa still cared.

"Elsa, let go!"

"We have to go now! There's not much time!"

"Elsa!" he growled. As they fought, I could see their magic doing the same in the staff, warring over who controlled it, not that Elsa knew, of course. Amazingly, Elsa's magic appeared to be winning, just like it had before. Then, we were all blinded by a great flash of blue light.

**Elsa**

One moment, I was looking into Pitch's face. The next, his face was buried in the ice a few feet away from me. Dad's staff had ended up in my hands, and I could feel my power coursing through it. Pitch brought himself to his feet, rubbing his sore jaw. Dad was doing the same. What had just happened?

"Elsa, give me the staff," Dad said, reaching out to me. I backed away, shaking my head and gripping it tighter.

"Give it to me, Elsa," Pitch commanded. I didn't obey.

"I need your help, Pitch," I begged.

"He can't help you. Elsa, please listen!" Dad pleaded.

"Why should I listen to you? You locked me up my entire life! You made me believe that my powers were a curse!" I screamed at him.

"Yes, I know," he admitted sadly, catching me off-guard. "I shouldn't have done that. I was trying to protect you and Anna, but it was stupid of me the lock you up like that. I'm sorry. Elsa, please come home." He reached out to me again, looking on the verge of tears.

I backed away again, closer to Pitch. "This isn't my home," I said, not knowing if I was saying it to Dad or trying to reassure myself. His apology got under my skin. "Everyone here hates me. They're afraid of me."

"That's right," Pitch chimed in. He held his arms open to me, offering security.

"That's not true. That's a lie that Pitch has put into your head. Your mother loves you. Anna loves you. I love you. Elsa, please."

"Pitch, what's he saying?" I asked frantically, suddenly doubting the safety of his embrace and backing away.

Pitch didn't answer directly. "Give me the staff, Elsa, and we can end this together. We can end the pain of your past." He reached out to me, to the staff, but I dodged his grasp. I looked back and forth between him and Dad, my emotions conflicting. Love? Family? But Pitch was my only family. Wasn't he?

"Elsa, come back to me. Come back to us, and we'll clean this whole mess up."

"Elsa, come here now, and we can rule with fear, just like we planned."

"Don't listen to him Elsa! He's using you!"

"Why should you listen to him? He never cared about what you wanted!"

"Elsa, please hand me my staff."

"Give me the staff!"

My eyes stung like they would be if I was crying, but I still couldn't cry. I looked back and forth between the two of them wildly, unsure of what to do. My thoughts and emotions warred inside of me, and it was too painful to bear, and I was finally had to let it all out with a shriek.

"STOP IT! YOU'RE MAKING ME CONFUSED!"

I slammed the stupid staff down on the ice and the fjord shattered with a deafening crack. A protective blizzard swirled around me as I clutched my head, trying to collect my thoughts. I gasped for breath, and the fjord froze over once again, stuck forever in the waves that had formed in the instant the water had been free. High waves of ice arced over my head and out in rings around me, I at the center of all of it. The snow continued to fall, but it was lighter, almost pensive. I could see that most of the town had gathered at the edge of the fjord to watch, and at the front of them all was Anna, fading quickly. I stared at her for the longest time, breathing heavily from the exertion of my powers, feeling as though I had frozen time itself.

**(Before I get a comment about this, no, Elsa did not freeze time. Ooh, things have gotten serious! What will happen next? Poor Elsa. She never wanted any of this to happen, and now she's stuck in a difficult position. Please review while I set straight to work on the next chapter!)**


	22. Chapter 22: Love Is Sacrifice

**Elsa**

"Pitch, I'm scared," I said, using the staff to help myself up. "Please..."

He almost seemed to glare at me, his face a stony, gray mask. "Elsa, hand me the staff," was all he said.

"Why won't you help me? Tell me!"

His mask was broken, and his expression changed to one of brief pain and sadness before he grimaced. "You want the truth? Fine. I can't help you. I never could."

"You lied to me?"

"And you were too stupid to realize it. You never had control over your powers, Elsa."

"You manipulated me! You made me into a monster!" I cried, backing away from him.

"You were always a monster. I just let you out."

"No!" So, my powers really were a curse?

"And there's nothing you can do to save your sister. She's going to die, Elsa, and it will be all your fault."

I screamed in anguish and fell to my knees on the ice, my braid stinging my face in the rising wind, but I couldn't cry. Why couldn't I cry? I heard Pitch laughing, rejoicing in my pain and fear. It was hopeless. How could all of this happen? Why did I let it happen? I held tight to the staff, as if imprinting its unique grooves into my palm would make me feel better.

**Anna**

My heart, cold as it was, sank, not only because I knew that I was going to die, but because of the ache I felt for my poor sister. Nobody deserved this, especially not her. I wanted to run out to her, but it felt as if my joints had been frozen - which they might very well be - and I remained rooted to my spot, supported by Kristoff, who appeared deep in thought.

"Anna, kiss me," he said suddenly.

"Wait, what?"

"At this point, it might be the only thing that might save you," he explained.

"But I thought-"

"I'm not going to let you die knowing that I didn't even try." I looked into his eyes, already on the verge of tears, and nodded in understanding. I let his hand cup the back of my neck and bring my face closer to his, slowly, hesitantly, but a voice made us both pause.

"Seeing as you're only going to be a hindrance from here on out..." Pitch said, causing me to pull back from Kristoff and turn my attention back to the events on the fjord. I watched in horror as a shadowy scythe manifested in his hands, and he raised it above his head over Elsa's crumpled form.

"No!" I screamed, pushing away from Kristoff with strength I didn't even know I had, and I ran, even though my feet were heavy and each motion was like being stabbed. I felt the blackness of unconsciousness darken the edges of my vision, but I pushed forward. Elsa would not die. I couldn't allow it to happen. I could hardly see by the time I slid across the ice to her, and my world had become nothing but pain, but I managed to shield her body with my own before I was completely gone.

The last thing I remembered was several people shouting. I think they said my name. That was nice.

**Elsa**

The sound of heavy footsteps on the ice caused me to look up, and the first thing I saw was Pitch, ready to kill me now that he had no need for me, but then he was gone, his frightening image replaced by the back of a soft magenta cloak that had a tear in one corner. Anna had jumped between me and certain doom, and I screamed her name as the scythe came down upon her. I was not alone.

"Anna!" yelled Mother, Father, and the ice salesman. We could do nothing as the blade hit her outstretched palm.

And it shattered, dissolving into nothing but nightmare sand.

In the blink of an eye, my sister had become a statue of solid ice, unmoving, unfeeling. The ice was strong enough to withstand the blow, and the curse placed upon it knocked Pitch back several feet in a flash of blue light. I stared for a moment, making sure that he wasn't getting up anytime soon, before I ran around to the front of her. Hesitantly, I touched her cold, frozen face, stuck forever in an expression of fear. The fear was all for me. I didn't deserve that, not after everything I had done. Seeing no harm in it anymore, I threw my arms around my sister for the first time, leaning my head against her still heart.

"Oh, Anna," I sobbed. "No." Everything had become silent and still. Even the snowflakes had frozen in the air. Everyone stayed where they were in a state of shock for what they had seen. "I'm so sorry." Warm tears flooded down my cheeks onto what had once been my sister. I no longer felt cold inside. It was as if the ice in me had melted, leaving me to drown on the inside. I cried and cried and cried for what felt like an eternity. This was wrong. None of this should have happened.

I suddenly felt her body shift. No, it was becoming just like my nightmares! I held onto her tighter. I was not going to let her dissolve into nothingness. I would never let her go. Then, I felt a pair of warm arms embrace me back. Shocked, I looked up into Anna's rosy face. She was still there. She was alive! She was crying, too. I realized suddenly that I was touching her, that I shouldn't be doing that, but I didn't care anymore. I kept hugging. "Why?" I sniffled after a long round of cheers from the crowd.

"You're my sister. I love you," she said simply with a smile. Suddenly, the smile disappeared, and she seemed to be deep in thought. "An act of true love...I broke the curse!" She laughed and hugged me tighter. I didn't quite get it, but I was just happy that she was alright. We were sisters again.

"I love you, too."

"Are you forgetting something?" said another voice. We parted and saw Pitch walking over to us menacingly, scythe in hand. Black sand came in dark waves over the fjord, surrounding us. I moved in front of Anna, determined to protect her this time. Dad came over beside us, picking up the staff that lay at my feet. We shared a smile before turning our attention back to Pitch. I held out my palm threateningly towards him, and Dad did the same with his staff. "I'm not afraid anymore," I announced, prompting a cry of rage from the bogeyman.

We were about to rush headlong into battle with the nightmares when a flash of light lit up the cloudy sky, and the sound of bells filled the air. Looking up, I saw a flying sleigh pulled by reindeer. The Guardians waved down at us. Grinning from ear to ear, I waved back. So these were the friends that Dad had told me about since I was small! They were wonderful!

**Jack**

Cheers arose from the members of our audience as the sleigh landed, and the Guardians stepped/flew out one at a time.

"Santa Clause!"

"The Easter Bunny!"

"The Tooth Fairy!"

"Sandman!"

One could almost feel the hope in the air rising, and the horrified look on Pitch's face was priceless. My expression was probably equally bewildered. I couldn't remember sending for them...wait a second. Tooth flew up next to me, and I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at her. "Baby Tooth?" I asked, already knowing the answer. She shrugged sheepishly.

"Jack!" bellowed North. "Long time, no see!"

"Managed to get yourself into a spot of trouble. Again," added Bunny.

"And where were you about an hour ago? Could have used you when the castle was tearing itself apart," I teased, falling easily back into the rhythm of our banter. It was like I had never been away. Next to me, I noticed that Elsa and Anna were gawking, mouths nearly hitting the ice. "We'll have time for explanations later."

"Yes! Now, we fight Pitch! Just like old times!" North laughed heartily, and before we knew it we were charging into battle, Elsa by my side after convincing Anna to stay behind.

"I'm not going to just stand here and watch!" Anna had protested.

"I know that you mean well, but this is not the time, Anna," Elsa had scolded.

With the Guardians by my side again, the fight was almost too easy. North and Tooth were simply charging through the nightmares, obliterating them with sheer force. Looking back, I saw that Sandy had found something for Anna to do. She was so child-like herself that her touch turned the black sand into gold, filling the sky with wonderful dreams that mixed in with the snowflakes still hanging in the air. As for me and Elsa, we took on Pitch directly, both of us having a bit of a score to settle with him. He hurled his massive scythe all around, barely missing us by a few inches, but his power was fading fast, and he was unable to take on the both of us directly.

Another swing of the scythe, and I held up my staff to combat it. At the collision, his weapon froze over and dissipated, leaving him defenseless. Elsa took advantage of that, and a blast of her magic sent him skidding across the ice, crashing into a wall that she formed in the same instant. "Take it home!" I called out to Sandy, and he obliged enthusiastically, snapping his whips and sending Pitch flailing like a ragdoll towards the shore. He stumbled, trying to bring himself back to his feet, but he fell again. We whooped and cheered our victory, and Elsa came forward and hugged me.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. I stroked her braid comfortingly.

"Everything's alright," I assured her. "It's nothing but a memory, now. A bad dream."

I looked up from Elsa for just a moment, and to my horror, I saw Pitch approaching Anna, teeth bared and arms outstretched. Before I could even call out to her or react in any other way, though, there was a resounding _clang_, and Pitch was skidding across the ice once again, rubbing the back of his head from where he had been struck. Rapunzel stood where he had once been, frying pan in hand. "Not my daughter, you-"

"Mama bear?" I chuckled. She smiled and laughed with me. I flew over to her side with Elsa. We all watched as Anna realized what had nearly happened and Tooth approached Pitch, punching her palm threateningly. Pitch did not appear particularly excited for what he expected next.

Anna came forward and put her hand on Tooth's, stopping her. After a moment of confusion for all of this, Anna said, "Allow me." Then, with all of the strength she could muster, she punched the bogeyman right in the face, hard enough to make his head snap back. I heard Kristoff laugh somewhere behind me. Anna skipped back over to my side, rubbing her sore knuckles. "It was worth it." We all laughed, and there was a group hug, a sure sign of a happy ending, but when we separated, Pitch had vanished.

"He's gone!" Elsa gasped.

"He does that," I sighed. "Probably hiding under some bed somewhere. You aren't worried, are you?"

"No, I just wasn't through with him yet." Her tone wasn't joking. She was dead serious, but I ruffled her hair anyway.

"I'm sure you'll get your chance." We smiled, and I left her to speak with her sister before heading over to the Guardians. "Thanks for everything," I said, somewhat awkwardly.

"Don't mention it," grumbled Bunny.

"Jack, you could have called for us at any time," North said.

"I know, it's just-"

"We would not have cared about the family. They are very nice," he continued.

"Even if it might be one of your stupidest decisions," Bunny added. Tooth elbowed him.

"Yeah, about that..." I chuckled nervously. "I thought you might say something about it, but there's actually a lot of explaining to do about my family. I think you should meet them first, though." I turned around to introduce them, but I noticed Elsa looking deep in thought.

"Love. An act of true love broke the curse," she muttered, pacing back and forth. Finally, her eyes brightened, and a sweet smile spread across her face, the most beautiful I had ever seen on her. "That's it! Love!" Elsa raised her arms up, and to everyone's astonishment, the snowflakes all traveled upward, heading back into the sky. The fjord began to melt, freeing all of the ships. We all headed back to shore and marveled as the snow and ice collected into one giant snowflake in the air before bursting in a flash of blue light. Summer was returned!

Rapunzel danced over to my side and leaned her head against my shoulder. "I know this might not be the best time for this, but we never did get to do the lighting of the lanterns," she whispered in my ear. I nearly smacked my forehead. In all the excitement, we had completely forgotten.

I turned to my fellow Guardians. "I don't suppose you'd want to stay for the after-party?" I was answered with enthusiastic nods.

The whole kingdom went to work preparing for the night's events, gossiping all day long about what had happened that morning. Elsa was forgiven, though there were still some who resented her. Midway through the day, she issued a formal apology before heading down to the town to work on the decorations herself. The streets never looked better with their new icicle and snowflake ornaments glittering all around and frost patterns decorating the cobblestones. I hung around the Guardians, flying around with Tooth and Sandy to re-hang the banners, explaining the entire time.

"You see, when I found Rapunzel, she was being locked away in a tower by a witch who wanted to hoard her powers. Rapunzel's hair has magical healing powers, a gift from a flower created by a drop of sunlight that her mother consumed before she was born, but if her hair is ever cut, it turns brown and loses all of its power. The witch stole her from her crib in the castle so that she could use her hair to stay young and beautiful forever while raising Rapunzel as her own daughter. Well, you can figure out the rest of the story from there. I stumbled upon her tower one day (freaked her out quite a bit), figured out the whole mess, and we fell in love, had two daughters, and lived happily ever after...until just a few days ago, that is."

Tooth perked up at my story. "What you're saying is...you've found someone who can live forever like you? That's wonderful!" Tooth hugged me, nearly dropping her end of the banner.

"Maybe. There's never been anyone like her before, so it's not like we know for sure about the effects her powers will have on herself, but I know that if my daughters wish it, we can keep them with us for as long as they like. That's why I didn't want you saying anything to Anna just yet. We haven't really had the time to explain everything to her."

"That makes much more sense. I knew you would not be so stupid," North proclaimed. Bunny rolled his eyes.

"You didn't have to shut us out because of all of this, though," Bunny said. "We would've understood."

"Yeah, I realize that now. I just wanted to keep everyone safe, but I guess I went about it in the worst possible way."

Sandy gave me an expression that said, _You think?_ We all laughed. It was good to be with my friends again. They were my first family. Having them here just felt right. My life felt whole again.

The sun seemed to set much too quickly, and after dancing in the courtyard to a happy tune, Rapunzel allowing children to braid her long hair, and Elsa starting up a snowball fight with Anna, our family headed up to the balcony that overlooked the kingdom where not one, but three lanterns awaited us. The center one had Rapunzel's sun emblem painted on, but the other two had very different designs. The one on the left that Elsa walked towards was decorated with snowflakes. The one on the right was for Anna, and it was decorated with hearts. Rapunzel and our daughters walked to the railing, each with a lantern in hand, so Rapunzel could address the kingdom.

"I'd like to finish the lost princess celebration, even though it may seem a little late. Today is a joyous day, not just for the kingdom and the return of summer, but to me personally. Today, we not only celebrate the day that I was returned to my home, we celebrate the return of two other lost princesses, my daughters Princess Elsa and Princess Anna!" There was a roar from the crowd, and Rapunzel proceeded to remove the weight from her lantern before casting it into the sky. Anna and Elsa did the same, and the three lanterns danced like stars into the night.

Looking down, we saw the townspeople begin to light their own lanterns, and a warm, sunny glow spread throughout the kingdom, starting from the base of the castle and traveling all the way down to the water. It reminded me of the healing light from Rapunzel's hair when she sang. I looked over to her and saw her eyes filled with awe and wonder at the sight, just as they had been the very first time I had taken her to see these lights before she knew of her royal status. I smiled and kissed her on the cheek, and we stood together for a while, basking in the glow of all the lanterns. Not too much later, though, I noticed that Anna and Elsa had disappeared from our side.

I glanced over the balcony edge and caught sight of them by the parting of the crowd in their wake. Elsa had her sister by the arm, and Anna had managed to grab Kristoff along the way. Elsa was leading them through the endless sea of lights to the fjord. I flew after them, high enough so that they wouldn't notice me. Anna and Kristoff protested, but Elsa raced straight to the water, and where her feet touched, it froze over, just enough ice for them to stand on. She led them forward until they were in the middle of the fjord, amidst the hundreds of lanterns. They stood together to marvel at the sight, batting away lanterns whenever they came too close. I settled on the bough of a nearby ship and was joined by Tooth moments later.

"You know," she began after a moment of silence. "I double-checked after you left, just to be sure, but his teeth weren't there. Like I said, he was before my time."

"It was a long shot, I guess," I said, shrugging.

"Why so interested in Pitch's past?" she wondered. I frowned.

"It was something he said a long time ago about family. When he went after mine, I was just wondering if there was a connection, but I guess it doesn't matter now."

"I guess not, but you know that he'll be back eventually."

"I'm not afraid anymore."

"Good. Well, I should probably be getting back. The palace is a mess after that storm. Um, Jack?"

"What?"

Tooth pointed over to where Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff stood. I just barely caught the end of their conversation. "You still owe me a kiss," Anna was saying to Kristoff.

"Nope!" I flew over between them, and after fishing a very cold Kristoff out of the fjord a moment later and dealing with an irritated Anna, we were all laughing together again.

Together again. Never to be parted.

I found the moon through the mass of lanterns overhead and thanked him silently.

**(The End! I know. I'm sad it's over too. Thank you for all of the love along the way [Jeezum crow, I'm on a wiki? Cool!], but this doesn't mean you can stop reviewing! I'd love to hear your thoughts on the story, what you liked, what you thought could be better, etc. I think I tied up any loose ends, but if I didn't, be sure to let me know. Message me or something if you have questions. Keep a look out for a new RotG fic I have on the way, and be sure to watch me on deviantart for some art on any scenes you liked in this fic. I will take requests on what to draw. Kay, I love you, buh-bye! For now!)**


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